Tensionless branes and the null string critical dimension

Abstract

BRST quantization is carried out for a model of p-branes with second class constraints. After extension of the phase space the constraint algebra coincides with the one of null string when p=1. It is shown that in this case one can or can not obtain critical dimension for the null string, depending on the choice of the operator ordering and corresponding vacuum states. When p>1, operator orderings leading to critical dimension in the p=1 case are not allowed. Admissable orderings give no restrictions on the dimension of the embedding space-time. Finally, a generalization to supersymmetric null branes is proposed.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX 2.09. Title changed. Change in the transition from second class constraints to first class ones. Comments, conclusions, references, acknowledgments and report-no adde