On the BRST operator of W-strings

1993/03/12 by Eric Bergshoeff, E. Bergshoeff, Harm Jan Boonstra +6 · 1 citation
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Algebra over a field #Algebraic structures and combinatorial models #BRST quantization #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Conjecture #Gauge theory #Mathematical physics #Mathematics #Nilpotent #Non-critical string theory #Nonlinear Waves and Solitons #Operator (biology) #Physics #Pure mathematics #Quantum mechanics #Spectrum (functional analysis) #String (physics) #String field theory #hep-th

paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/0370-2693(93)90598-c

published as Phys.Lett. B308 (1993) 34-41 · 12 pages, UG-2/93, UCB-PTH-93/05, LBL-33737 (equations (30) and (31) have been corrected)

arxiv created 1993/03/12 · openalex publication_date 1993/06/01 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

We discuss the conditions under which the BRST operator of a W-string can be written as the sum of two operators that are separately nilpotent and anticommute with each other. We illustrate our results with the example of the non-critical W₃-string. Furthermore, we apply our results to make a conjecture about a relationship between the spectrum of a non-critical W_n-string and a W_n-1-string.

Citations

• Physical States in the W₃ String
• The abelian Higgs Kibble model, unitarity of the S-operator
• On the Spectrum and Scattering of W₃ Strings
• Discrete States in the W₃ String
• A BRST operator for non-critical W-strings
• The Low-level Spectrum of the W₃ String

Cited by

• Physical states and BRST operators for higher-spin W strings