We extend the recently constructed double field theory formulation of the
low-energy theory of the closed bosonic string to the heterotic string. The
action can be written in terms of a generalized metric that is a covariant
tensor under O(D,D+n), where n denotes the number of gauge vectors, and n
additional coordinates are introduced together with a covariant constraint that
locally removes these new coordinates. For the abelian subsector, the action
takes the same structural form as for the bosonic string, but based on the
enlarged generalized metric, thereby featuring a global O(D,D+n) symmetry.
After turning on non-abelian gauge couplings, this global symmetry is broken,
but the action can still be written in a fully O(D,D+n) covariant fashion, in
analogy to similar constructions in gauged supergravities.Comment: 28 pages, v2: minor changes, version published in JHE