Problem 14.5c

Counting states in heterotic SO(32) string theory | A First Course in String Theory

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At any mass level $\displaystyle{\alpha' M^2 = 4k}$ of the heterotic string, the spacetime bosons are obtained by “tensoring” all the left states (NS’+ and R’+) with $\displaystyle{\alpha' M_L^2 = k}$ with the right-moving NS+ states with $\displaystyle{\alpha' M_R^2 = k}$.

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In heterotic (closed) string theory, there are left-moving part and right-moving part. Then, what is the meaning of “at any mass level $\displaystyle{\alpha' M^2 = 4k}$ of the heterotic string”?

— Me@2018-11-11 03:44:18 PM

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Type IIA/B closed superstrings

p.322

In closed superstring theories spacetime bosons arise from the (NS, NS) sector and also from the (R, R) sector, since this sector is “doubly” fermionic. The spacetime fermions arise from the (NS, R) and (R, NS) sectors.

p.322

$\displaystyle{\alpha' M_L^2 = \alpha' M_R^2}$

$\displaystyle{\frac{1}{2} \alpha' M^2 = \alpha' M_L^2 + \alpha' M_R^2}$

$\displaystyle{\alpha' M^2 = 2 \left( \alpha' M_L^2 + \alpha' M_R^2 \right) = 4 \alpha' M_L^2}$

These are the reasons that any mass level of the heterotic string is always in the form $\displaystyle{\alpha' M^2 = 4k}$.

— Me@2018-11-12 03:09:11 PM

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Equation (14.77):

p.322

closed string sectors: (NS, NS), (NS, R), (R, NS), (R, R)

$\text{type IIA}:~~~(NS+, NS+), ~(NS+, R+),~ (R-, NS+), ~ (R-, R+)$

$\text{type IIB}:~~~(NS+, NS+), ~(NS+, R-),~ (R-, NS+), ~ (R-, R-)$

What is the difference between Type IIA/B closed superstrings and heterotic SO(32) strings?

— Me@2018-11-12 03:15:46 PM

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The five consistent superstring theories are:

• The type I string has one supersymmetry in the ten-dimensional sense (16 supercharges). This theory is special in the sense that it is based on unoriented open and closed strings, while the rest are based on oriented closed strings.
• The type II string theories have two supersymmetries in the ten-dimensional sense (32 supercharges). There are actually two kinds of type II strings called type IIA and type IIB. They differ mainly in the fact that the IIA theory is non-chiral (parity conserving) while the IIB theory is chiral (parity violating).
• The heterotic string theories are based on a peculiar hybrid of a type I superstring and a bosonic string. There are two kinds of heterotic strings differing in their ten-dimensional gauge groups: the heterotic E8×E8 string and the heterotic SO(32) string. (The name heterotic SO(32) is slightly inaccurate since among the SO(32) Lie groups, string theory singles out a quotient Spin(32)/Z2 that is not equivalent to SO(32).)

— Wikipedia on Superstring theory

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