Higgs Mechanism in String Theory

Abstract

In first-quantized string theory, spacetime symmetries are described by inner automorphisms of the underlying conformal field theory. In this paper we use this approach to illustrate the Higgs effect in string theory. We consider string propagation on M^{24,1} \times S^1, where the circle has radius R, and study SU(2) symmetry breaking as R moves away from its critical value. We find a gauge-covariant equation of motion for the broken-symmetry gauge bosons and the would-be Goldstone bosons. We show that the Goldstone bosons can be eliminated by an appropriate gauge transformation. In this unitary gauge, the Goldstone bosons become the longitudinal components of massive gauge bosons.

12 pages, TeX

References in corpus (4)

• Exact Duality Symmetries in CFT and String Theory
• Symmetries and symmetry-breaking in string theory
• An Infinite Dimensional Symmetry Algebra in String Theory
• O(d,d,Z) Transformations as Automorphisms of the Operator Algebra

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• SuperHiggs Mechanism in String Theory