Intersecting M-branes and bound states

In this paper, we construct multi-scalar, multi-center $p$-brane solutions in toroidally compactified M-theory. We use these solutions to show that all supersymmetric $p$-branes can be viewed as bound states of certain basic building blocks, namely $p$-branes that preserve $1/2$ of the supersymmetry. We also explore the M-theory interpretation of $p$-branes in lower dimensions. We show that all the supersymmetric $p$-branes can be viewed as intersections of M-branes or boosted M-branes in $D=11$.Comment: Latex, 14 pages, no figures. References adde

N=1 superstring in 2+2 dimensions

In this paper we construct a (2,2) dimensional string theory with manifest N=1 spacetime supersymmetry. We use Berkovits' approach of augmenting the spacetime supercoordinates by the conjugate momenta for the fermionic variables. The worldsheet symmetry algebra is a twisted and truncated ``small'' N=4 superconformal algebra. The realisation of the symmetry algebra is reducible with an infinite order of reducibility. We study the physical states of the theory by two different methods. In one of them, we identify a subset of irreducible constraints, which is by itself critical. We construct the BRST operator for the irreducible constraints, and study the cohomology and interactions. This method breaks the SO(2,2) spacetime symmetry of the original reducible theory. In another approach, we study the theory in a fully covariant manner, which involves the introduction of infinitely many ghosts for ghosts

BRST Operator for Superconformal Algebras with Quadratic Nonlinearity

We construct the quantum BRST operators for a large class of superconformal and quasi--superconformal algebras with quadratic nonlinearity. The only free parameter in these algebras is the level of the (super) Kac-Moody sector. The nilpotency of the quantum BRST operator imposes a condition on the level. We find this condition for (quasi) superconformal algebras with a Kac-Moody sector based on a simple Lie algebra and for the $Z_2\times Z_2$--graded superconformal algebras with a Kac-Mody sector based on the superalgebra $osp(N\vert 2M)$ or $s\ell(N+2\vert N)$.Comment: 13 pages, plain tex, CTP TAMU-27/93, IC/93/16