PIRSA:07120039

Alternative Worldsheet Gauges and Closed-String Tachyon Condensation

APA

Keeler, C. (2007). Alternative Worldsheet Gauges and Closed-String Tachyon Condensation. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/07120039

MLA

Keeler, Cynthia. Alternative Worldsheet Gauges and Closed-String Tachyon Condensation. Perimeter Institute, Dec. 07, 2007, https://pirsa.org/07120039

BibTex

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:07120039,
            doi = {10.48660/07120039},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/07120039},
            author = {Keeler, Cynthia},
            keywords = {Quantum Fields and Strings},
            language = {en},
            title = {Alternative Worldsheet Gauges and Closed-String Tachyon Condensation},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2007},
            month = {dec},
            note = {PIRSA:07120039 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }
          

Cynthia Keeler University of California

Abstract

Alternative gauge choices for worldsheet supersymmetry can elucidate dynamical phenomena obscured in the usual superconformal guage. In the particular example of the tachyonic E_8 heterotic string, we use a judicious gauge choice to show that the process of closed-string tachyon condensation can be understood in terms of a worldsheet super-Higgs effect. The worldsheet gravitino assimilates the goldstino and becomes a dynamical propagating field. Conformal, but not superconformal, invariance is maintained throughout.