Some Computations in Background Independent Open-String Field Theory

Recently, background independent open-string field theory has been formally defined in the space of all two-dimensional world-sheet theories. In this paper, to make the construction more concrete, I compute the action for an off-shell tachyon field of a certain simple type. From the computation it emerges that, although the string field action does not coincide with the world-sheet (matter) partition function in general, these functions do coincide on shell. This can be demonstrated in general, as long as matter and ghosts are decoupled.Comment: 14 p

Role of Short Distance Behavior in Off-Shell Open-String Field Theory

A recent proposal for a background independent open string field theory is studied in detail for a class of backgrounds that correspond to general quadratic boundary interactions on the world-sheet. A short-distance cut-off is introduced to formulate the theory with a finite number of local and potentially unrenormalizable boundary couplings. It is shown that renormalization of the boundary couplings makes both the world-sheet partition function and the string field action finite and cut-off independent, although the resulting string field action has an unpalatable dependence on the leading unrenormalizable coupling.Comment: 16 page

A Note on Open Strings in the Presence of Constant B-Field

We consider the open string sigma-model in the presence of a constant Neveu-Schwarz B-field on the world-sheet that is topologically equivalent to a disk with n holes. First, we compute the sigma-model partition function. Second, we make a consistency check of ideas about the appearance of noncommutative geometry within open strings.Comment: 4 pages, references corrected and remarks adde

Pair Creation of Open Strings in an Electric Field

We calculate exactly the rate of pair production of open bosonic and supersymmetric strings in a constant electric field. The rate agrees with Schwinger's classic result in the weak-field limit, but diverges when the electric field approaches some critical value of the order of the string tension. (Phyzzx file)Comment: 13 pages, CPTH-A182.089

On the Problems with Background Independence in String Theory

The problems with background independence are discussed in the example of open string theory. Based on the recent proposal by Witten I calculate the String Field Theory action in conformal perturbation theory to second order and demonstrate that the proper treatment of contact terms leads to nontrivial equations of motion. I conjecture the form of the field theory action to all orders.Comment: 15p., Preprint IASSNS-HEP-93/6

The origin of noncommutativity?

Consistent boundary Poisson structures for open string theory coupled to background $B$-field are considered using the new approach proposed in hep-th/0111005. It is found that there are infinitely many consistent Poisson structures, each leads to a consistent canonical quantization of open string in the presence of background $B$-field. Consequently, whether the $D$-branes to which the open string end points are attached is noncommutative or not depends on the choice of a particular Poisson structure.Comment: Revtex4, published versio

Constrained Quantization of Open String in Background B Field and Noncommutative D-brane

In a previous paper we provided a consistent quantization of open strings ending on D-branes with a background $B$ field. In this letter, we show that the same result can also be obtained using the more traditional method of Dirac's constrained quantization. We also extend the discussion to the fermionic sector.Comment: 12 pages, LaTex, no figure; v2: 3 references and a footnote added in sec. 2 (version to appear in Nucl. Phys. B

Probing bound states of D-branes

A zero-brane is used to probe non-threshold BPS bound states of (p, p+2,p+4)-branes. At long distances the stringy calculation agrees with the supergravity calculations. The supergravity description is given, using the interpretation of the D=8 dyonic membrane as the bound state of a two-brane inside a four-brane. We investigate the short distance structure of these bound states, compute the phase shift of the scattered zero-brane and find the bound states characteristic size. It is found that there should be a supersymmetric solution of type IIa supergravity, describing a bound state of a zero-brane and two orthogonal two-brane, all inside a four-brane , with an additional unbound zero-brane. We comment on the relationship between p-branes and (p-2)-branes.Comment: Minor changes, misprints corrected, two refrences added, 19 pages, Late

A Scaling Limit With Many Noncommutativity Parameters

We derive the worldsheet propagator for an open string with different magnetic fields at the two ends, and use it to compute two distinct noncommutativity parameters, one at each end of the string. The usual scaling limit that leads to noncommutative Yang-Mills can be generalized to a scaling limit in which both noncommutativity parameters enter. This corresponds to expanding a theory with U(N) Chan-Paton factors around a background U(1)^N gauge field with different magnetic fields in each U(1).Comment: 14 pages, harvma

p-branes from (p-2)-branes in the Bosonic String Theory

We show that Dirichlet p-brane can be expressed as a configuration of infinitely many Dirichlet (p-2)-branes in the bosonic string theory. Using this fact, we interpret the massless fields on the p-brane worldvolume as deformations of the configuration of the (p-2)-branes. Especially we find that the worldvolume gauge field parametrizes part of the group of diffeomorphisms on the worldvolume.Comment: 16 pages, latex. The treatment of boundary interactions is correcte