Solving Witten's SFT by Insertion of Operators on Projectors

Following Okawa, we insert operators at the boundary of regulated star algebra projectors to construct the leading order tachyon vacuum solution of open string field theory. We also calculate the energy density of the solution and the ratio between the kinetic and the cubic terms. A universal relationship between these two quantities is found. We show that for any twist invariant projector, the energy density can account for at most 68.46% of the D25-brane tension. The general results are then applied to regulated slivers and butterflies, and the next-to-leading order solution for regulated sliver states is constructed.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figure

Solving Open String Field Theory with Special Projectors

Schnabl recently found an analytic expression for the string field tachyon condensate using a gauge condition adapted to the conformal frame of the sliver projector. We propose that this construction is more general. The sliver is an example of a special projector, a projector such that the Virasoro operator \L_0 and its BPZ adjoint \L*_0 obey the algebra [\L_0, \L*_0] = s (\L_0 + \L*_0), with s a positive real constant. All special projectors provide abelian subalgebras of string fields, closed under both the *-product and the action of \L_0. This structure guarantees exact solvability of a ghost number zero string field equation. We recast this infinite recursive set of equations as an ordinary differential equation that is easily solved. The classification of special projectors is reduced to a version of the Riemann-Hilbert problem, with piecewise constant data on the boundary of a disk.Comment: 64 pages, 6 figure

Comments on Schnabl's analytic solution for tachyon condensation in Witten's open string field theory

Schnabl recently constructed an analytic solution for tachyon condensation in Witten's open string field theory. The solution consists of two pieces. Only the first piece is involved in proving that the solution satisfies the equation of motion when contracted with any state in the Fock space. On the other hand, both pieces contribute in evaluating the kinetic term to reproduce the value predicted by Sen's conjecture. We therefore need to understand why the second piece is necessary. We evaluate the cubic term of the string field theory action for Schnabl's solution and use it to show that the second piece is necessary for the equation of motion contracted with the solution itself to be satisfied. We also present the solution in various forms including a pure-gauge configuration and provide simpler proofs that it satisfies the equation of motion.Comment: 33 pages, 4 figures, LaTeX2e; v2: minor changes, version published in JHE

On different actions for the vacuum of bosonic string field theory

We study a family of kinetic operators in string field theory describing the theory around the closed string vacuum. Those operators are based on the analytical classical solutions of Takahashi and Tanimoto and are analogous to the pure ghost action usually referred to as "vacuum string field theory," but are much more general, and less singular than the pure ghost operator. The closed string vacuum is related to the D-brane vacuum by large, singular, gauge transformations or field redefinition, and all those different representations are related to each other by small gauge transformations. We try to clarify the nature of this singular gauge transformation. We also show that by choosing the Siegel gauge one recovers the propagator proposed in hep-th/0207266 that generates closed string surfaces.Comment: 15 page

Comments on regularization of identity based solutions in string field theory

We analyze the consistency of the recently proposed regularization of an identity based solution in open bosonic string field theory. We show that the equation of motion is satisfied when it is contracted with the regularized solution itself. Additionally, we propose a similar regularization of an identity based solution in the modified cubic superstring field theory.Comment: 24 pages, two subsections added, two references adde

Annulus Amplitudes in the Minimal Superstring

We study the annulus amplitudes in the (2,4) minimal superstring theory using the continuum worldsheet approach. Our results reproduce the semiclassical behavior of the wavefunctions of FZZT-branes recently studied in hep-th/0412315 using the dual matrix model. We also study the multi-point functions of neutral FZZT-branes and find the agreement between their semiclassical limit and the worldsheet annulus calculation.Comment: 15 pages, lanlma

ABJM with Flavors and FQHE

We add fundamental matters to the N=6 Chern-Simons theory (ABJM theory), and show that D6-branes wrapped over AdS_4 x S^3/Z_2 in type IIA superstring theory on AdS_4 x CP^3 give its dual description with N=3 supersymmetry. We confirm this by the arguments based on R-symmetry, supersymmetry, and brane configuration of ABJM theory. We also analyze the fluctuations of the D6-brane and compute the conformal dimensions of dual operators. In the presence of fractional branes, the ABJM theory can model the fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE), with RR-fields regarded as the external electric-magnetic field. We show that an addition of the flavor D6-brane describes a class of fractional quantum Hall plateau transition.Comment: 23 pages, Latex, no figures; (v2) references added, typos correcte

Exploring Vacuum Structure around Identity-Based Solutions

We explore the vacuum structure in bosonic open string field theory expanded around an identity-based solution parameterized by $a(>=-1/2)$. Analyzing the expanded theory using level truncation approximation up to level 20, we find that the theory has the tachyon vacuum solution for $a>-1/2$. We also find that, at $a=-1/2$, there exists an unstable vacuum solution in the expanded theory and the solution is expected to be the perturbative open string vacuum. These results reasonably support the expectation that the identity-based solution is a trivial pure gauge configuration for $a>-1/2$, but it can be regarded as the tachyon vacuum solution at $a=-1/2$.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures; new numerical data up to level (20,60) included; Contribution to the proceedings of "Second International Conference on String Field Theory and Related Aspects" (Steklov Mathematical Institute, Moscow, Russia, April 12-19, 2009