Superstrings from Hamiltonian Reduction

Abstract

In any string theory there is a hidden, twisted superconformal symmetry algebra, part of which is made up by the BRST current and the anti-ghost. We investigate how this algebra can be systematically constructed for strings with $N-2$ supersymmetries, via quantum Hamiltonian reduction of the Lie superalgebras $osp(N|2)$. The motivation is to understand how one could systematically construct generalized string theories from superalgebras. We also briefly discuss the BRST algebra of the topological string, which is a doubly twisted $N=4$ superconformal algebra.

32p, LaTeX, CERN-TH.7379/94

References in corpus (3)

• On the Uniqueness of String Theory
• Extensions of the Virasoro Algebra and Gauged WZW Models
• Lie Superalgebra and Extended Topological Conformal Symmetry in Non-critical $W_3$ Strings

Cited by in corpus (13)

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• Embedding Diagrams of N=2 Verma Modules and Relaxed ^sl(2) Verma Modules
• The Non-Critical N=2 String is an sl(2|1) Theory
• Inverting the Hamiltonian Reduction in String Theory
• Strings from $N=2$ Gauged Wess-Zumino-Witten Models
• Lectures on conformal field theory and Kac-Moody algebras
• Free Field Realization of $WB{C}_n$ and $W{G}_2$ algebras
• On the Lagrangian Realization of Non-Critical $\mathcal{W}$-Strings
• Spinor Field Realizations of the half-integer $W_{2,s}$ Strings
• Physical States and BRST Operators for Higher-spin $W$ Strings
• On the Equivalence of Affine sl(2) and N=2 Superconformal Representation Theories
• TOPOLOGICAL MATTER, MIRROR SYMMETRY AND NON-CRITICAL (SUPER)STRINGS
• Explicit field realizations of W algebras