On second-quantized open superstring theory

On Second–Quantized Open Superstring Theory

The SO(32) theory, in the limit where it is an open superstring theory, is completely specified in the light–cone gauge as a second–quantized string theory in terms of a “matrix string” model. The theory is defined by the neighbourhood of a 1+1 dimensional fixed point theory, characterized by an Abelian gauge theory with type IB Green–Schwarz form. Non–orientability and SO(32) gauge symmetry ar...

Review of Open Superstring Field Theory

I review the construction of an action for open superstring field theory which does not suffer from the contact term problems of other approaches. This action resembles a Wess-Zumino-Witten action and can be constructed in a manifestly D=4 super-Poincaré covariant manner. This review is based on lectures given at the ICTP LatinAmerican String School in Mexico City and the Komaba 2000 Workshop i...

Scattering amplitudes in open superstring theory

Multi–Gluon Scattering in Open Superstring Theory

Abstract We discuss the amplitudes describing N -gluon scattering in type I superstring theory, on a disk world-sheet. After reviewing the general structure of amplitudes and the complications created by the presence of a large number of vertices at the boundary, we focus on the most promising case of maximally helicity violating (MHV) configurations because in this case, the zero Regge slope l...

Kinks of open superstring field theory

We construct approximate kink solutions of supersymmetric open string field theory at lowest level when non-local operators in the tachyon effective action are fully taken into account. To this purpose we derive two duplication formulæ for products of incomplete gamma functions, which determine the level of approximation of the solutions. The time kink is an instanton of the Euclidean theory wi...