Abstract
In the pure spinor formalism for the superstring, the b antighost is necessary for multiloop amplitude computations and is a composite operator constructed to satisfy {Q, b}= T where Q is the BRST operator and T is the holomorphic stress-tensor. In superstring backgrounds with only NS-NS fields turned on, or in flat space, one needs to introduce “non-minimal” variables in order to construct the b antighost. However, in Type II backgrounds where the Ramond-Ramond bispinor field-strength satisfies certain conditions, the b antighost can be constructed without the non-minimal variables. Although the b antighost in these backgrounds is not holomorphic, its antiholomorphic derivative is BRST-trivial. We discuss the properties of this operator both in the AdS 5×S 5 background and in a generic curved background.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
O.A. Bedoya and N. Berkovits, GGI lectures on the pure spinor formalism of the superstring, arXiv:0910.2254 [SPIRES].
N. Berkovits, Simplifying and extending the AdS 5 ×S 5 pure spinor formalism, JHEP 09 (2009) 051 [arXiv:0812.5074] [SPIRES].
N. Berkovits and O. Chandía, Superstring vertex operators in an A dS 5 ×S 5 background, Nucl. Phys. B 596 (2001) 185 [hep-th/0009168] [SPIRES].
B.C. Vallilo, One loop conformal invariance of the superstring in an AdS 5 ×S 5 background, JHEP 12 (2002) 042 [hep-th/0210064] [SPIRES].
N. Berkovits, Quantum consistency of the superstring in AdS 5 ×S 5 background, JHEP 03 (2005) 041 [hep-th/0411170] [SPIRES].
L. Mazzucato and B.C. Vallilo, On the non-renormalization of the AdS radius, JHEP 09 (2009) 056 [arXiv:0906.4572] [SPIRES].
I. Oda and M. Tonin, On the Berkovits covariant quantization of GS superstring, Phys. Lett. B 520 (2001) 398 [hep-th/0109051] [SPIRES].
M. Matone, L. Mazzucato, I. Oda, D. Sorokin and M. Tonin, The superembedding origin of the Berkovits pure spinor covariant quantization of superstrings, Nucl. Phys. B 639 (2002) 182 [hep-th/0206104] [SPIRES].
N. Berkovits, Pure spinor formalism as an N =2 topological string, JHEP 10 (2005) 089 [hep-th/0509120] [SPIRES].
N. Berkovits and N. Nekrasov, Multiloop superstring amplitudes from non-minimal pure spinor formalism, JHEP 12 (2006) 029 [hep-th/0609012] [SPIRES].
M. Bianchi and J. Kluson, Current algebra of the pure spinor superstring in AdS 5 ×S 5, JHEP 08 (2006) 030 [hep-th/0606188] [SPIRES].
V.G.M. Puletti, Operator product expansion for pure spinor superstring on AdS 5 ×S 5, JHEP 10 (2006) 057 [hep-th/0607076] [SPIRES].
O.A. Bedoya, D.Z. Marchioro, D.L. Nedel and B. Carlini Vallilo, Quantum current algebra for the AdS 5 ×S 5 superstring, JHEP 08 (2010) 026 [arXiv:1003.0701] [SPIRES].
N. Berkovits and P.S. Howe, Ten-dimensional supergravity constraints from the pure spinor formalism for the superstring, Nucl. Phys. B 635 (2002) 75 [hep-th/0112160] [SPIRES].
O.A. Bedoya and O. Chandía, One-loop conformal invariance of the type-II pure spinor superstring in a curved background, JHEP 01 (2007) 042 [hep-th/0609161] [SPIRES].
S. Guttenberg, Superstrings in general backgrounds, arXiv:0807.4968 [SPIRES].
M. Tonin, Pure spinor approach to type IIA superstring σ-models and free differential algebras, JHEP 06 (2010) 083 [arXiv:1002.3500] [SPIRES].
O. Chandía, A note on the classical BRST symmetry of the pure spinor string in a curved background, JHEP 07 (2006) 019 [hep-th/0604115] [SPIRES].
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
ArXiv ePrint: 1004.5140
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Berkovits, N., Mazzucato, L. Taming the b antighost with Ramond-Ramond flux. J. High Energ. Phys. 2010, 19 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP11(2010)019
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP11(2010)019