Scribd
Upload
70 views3 pages

Midterm 2009

This document contains three problems from a midterm exam on string theory: 1. The first problem asks the student to analyze the mode expansion and allowed states of a closed string propagating in a space with a twisted identification. This introduces twisted and untwisted sectors with different boundary conditions. 2. The second problem asks the student to use operator product expansions to show that the modes of the string coordinates satisfy certain commutation relations. 3. The third problem considers a pair of bosonic fields with a particular operator product expansion, and asks the student to determine the conformal dimensions of the fields and the central charge of the energy-momentum tensor constructed from the fields.

Uploaded by

Chris Walsh
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
70 views3 pages

Midterm 2009

This document contains three problems from a midterm exam on string theory: 1. The first problem asks the student to analyze the mode expansion and allowed states of a closed string propagating in a space with a twisted identification. This introduces twisted and untwisted sectors with different boundary conditions. 2. The second problem asks the student to use operator product expansions to show that the modes of the string coordinates satisfy certain commutation relations. 3. The third problem considers a pair of bosonic fields with a particular operator product expansion, and asks the student to determine the conformal dimensions of the fields and the central charge of the energy-momentum tensor constructed from the fields.

Uploaded by

Chris Walsh
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Midterm Exam

April 2, 2008

Problem 1
In this problem we want to compute the spectrum of a closed string propagating in at D dimensional space X , = 0, ..., D 1, where we have additionally imposed the identication: X D 1 = X D1 . (1)

This means that the coordinate X D1 is not running from to + but only from 0 to , so it corresponds to the half-line X D1 0 with a boundary at X D1 = 0. This identication has two eects: The boundary conditions of the closed string are more general and we have the following two possible sectors: i) X D1 ( + , ) = X D1 (, ) ii) X D1 ( + , ) = X D1 (, ) (untwisted sector) (twisted sector) (2)

We should keep only states which are consistent with the identication (1). Namely we should keep only states invariant under the map X D1 X D1 . (3)

1. Write the general mode expansion for the eld X D1 (, ) for a closed string in the untwisted sector. Determine how the map (3) acts on the operators appearing in the expansion. 2. In the untwisted sector, nd the allowed states which are invariant under the map (3). 1

3. Write the general mode expansion for the eld X D1 (, ) for a closed string in the twisted sector. Find the allowed states which are invariant under the map (3). 4. What is the center-of-mass position and momentum for the states in the twisted sector? 5. Bonus question: Give a physical interpretation of the states in the twisted sector and explain physically the result in 4.

Problem 2
Using the OPEs: X (z )X (w) = X (z )X (w) 0 X (z )X (w) = show that:
[m , n ] = [m , n ] = m m+n,0 , [m , n ]=0

+ ... (z w)2 (4) + ... (z w)2

(5)

where the operators n , n are dened by the expansions:

X (z ) = i
n=

n1 n z

(6)
n1 n z

X (z ) = i
n=

Problem 3
Consider a pair of bosonic elds (z ) and (z ) with the following OPE: (z )(w) = 1 + ..., zw 2 (z )(w) = 1 + ... zw (7)

while (z )(w) and (z )(w) are nonsingular. The energy-momentum tensor has the form: T (z ) = : (z ) (z ) : ( 1) : (z ) (z ) : (8)

a) By computing the OPE of the elds with T (z ), determine the conformal dimension of (z ) and (z ). b) Bonus question: Compute the OPE of T (z ) with itself to show that the central charge of the theory is: c = 2(62 6 + 1) (9)

You might also like