Rolling to the tachyon vacuum in string field theory

We argue that the rolling-tachyon solution in cubic OSFT proceeds at late times to precisely the analytic tachyon-vacuum solution constructed by Schnabl. In addition, we demonstrate the relationship between the rolling-tachyon solution and the standard BCFT description by showing that there is a finite gauge transformation which relates the two.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, References and comments adde

Level truncation analysis of exact solutions in open string field theory

We evaluate vacuum energy density of Schnabl's solution using the level truncation calculation and the total action including interaction terms. The level truncated solution provides vacuum energy density expected both for tachyon vacuum and trivial pure gauge. We discuss the role of the phantom term to reproduce correct vacuum energy.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures,v2: 1 figure replace

The fluctuation spectra around a Gaussian classical solution of a tensor model and the general relativity

Tensor models can be interpreted as theory of dynamical fuzzy spaces. In this paper, I study numerically the fluctuation spectra around a Gaussian classical solution of a tensor model, which represents a fuzzy flat space in arbitrary dimensions. It is found that the momentum distribution of the low-lying low-momentum spectra is in agreement with that of the metric tensor modulo the general coordinate transformation in the general relativity at least in the dimensions studied numerically, i.e. one to four dimensions. This result suggests that the effective field theory around the solution is described in a similar manner as the general relativity.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figure

The Tachyon Potential in the Sliver Frame

We evaluate the tachyon potential in the Schnabl gauge through off-shell computations in the sliver frame. As an application of the results of our computations, we provide a strong evidence that Schnabl's analytic solution for tachyon condensation in open string field theory represents a saddle point configuration of the full tachyon potential. Additionally we verify that Schnabl's analytic solution lies on the minimum of the effective tachyon potential.Comment: v1: 19 pages, 1 figure, 1 table; v2: 20 pages, 1 figure, 2 tables, 1 reference added, comments added; v3: 21 pages, 1 figure, 2 tables, 4 references added, comments adde

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

Proof of vanishing cohomology at the tachyon vacuum

We prove Sen's third conjecture that there are no on-shell perturbative excitations of the tachyon vacuum in open bosonic string field theory. The proof relies on the existence of a special state A, which, when acted on by the BRST operator at the tachyon vacuum, gives the identity. While this state was found numerically in Feynman-Siegel gauge, here we give a simple analytic expression.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures; v2: references adde

Generating Erler-Schnabl-type Solution for Tachyon Vacuum in Cubic Superstring Field Theory

We study a new set of identity-based solutions to analyze the problem of tachyon condensation in open bosonic string field theory and cubic superstring field theory. Even though these identity-based solutions seem to be trivial, it turns out that after performing a suitable gauge transformation, we are left with the known Erler-Schnabl-type solutions which correctly reproduce the value of the D-brane tension. This result shows explicitly that how a seemingly trivial solution can generate a non-trivial configuration which precisely represents to the tachyon vacuum.Comment: 22 pages, references added, appendix added, 2 subsections adde

Superstring field theory equivalence: Ramond sector

We prove that the finite gauge transformation of the Ramond sector of the modified cubic superstring field theory is ill-defined due to collisions of picture changing operators. Despite this problem we study to what extent could a bijective classical correspondence between this theory and the (presumably consistent) non-polynomial theory exist. We find that the classical equivalence between these two theories can almost be extended to the Ramond sector: We construct mappings between the string fields (NS and Ramond, including Chan-Paton factors and the various GSO sectors) of the two theories that send solutions to solutions in a way that respects the linearized gauge symmetries in both sides and keeps the action of the solutions invariant. The perturbative spectrum around equivalent solutions is also isomorphic. The problem with the cubic theory implies that the correspondence of the linearized gauge symmetries cannot be extended to a correspondence of the finite gauge symmetries. Hence, our equivalence is only formal, since it relates a consistent theory to an inconsistent one. Nonetheless, we believe that the fact that the equivalence formally works suggests that a consistent modification of the cubic theory exists. We construct a theory that can be considered as a first step towards a consistent RNS cubic theory.Comment: v1: 24 pages. v2: 27 pages, significant modifications of the presentation, new section, typos corrected, references adde

A Simple Analytic Solution for Tachyon Condensation

In this paper we present a new and simple analytic solution for tachyon condensation in open bosonic string field theory. Unlike the B_0 gauge solution, which requires a carefully regulated discrete sum of wedge states subtracted against a mysterious "phantom" counter term, this new solution involves a continuous integral of wedge states, and no regularization or phantom term is necessary. Moreover, we can evaluate the action and prove Sen's conjecture in a mere few lines of calculation.Comment: 44 pages

The lowest modes around Gaussian solutions of tensor models and the general relativity

In the previous paper, the number distribution of the low-lying spectra around Gaussian solutions representing various dimensional fuzzy tori of a tensor model was numerically shown to be in accordance with the general relativity on tori. In this paper, I perform more detailed numerical analysis of the properties of the modes for two-dimensional fuzzy tori, and obtain conclusive evidences for the agreement. Under a proposed correspondence between the rank-three tensor in tensor models and the metric tensor in the general relativity, conclusive agreement is obtained between the profiles of the low-lying modes in a tensor model and the metric modes transverse to the general coordinate transformation. Moreover, the low-lying modes are shown to be well on a massless trajectory with quartic momentum dependence in the tensor model. This is in agreement with that the lowest momentum dependence of metric fluctuations in the general relativity will come from the R^2-term, since the R-term is topological in two dimensions. These evidences support the idea that the low-lying low-momentum dynamics around the Gaussian solutions of tensor models is described by the general relativity. I also propose a renormalization procedure for tensor models. A classical application of the procedure makes the patterns of the low-lying spectra drastically clearer, and suggests also the existence of massive trajectories.Comment: 31 pages, 8 figures, Added references, minor corrections, a misleading figure replace