Abstract
The pure spinor formalism for the superstring can be formulated as a twisted N=2 worldsheet theory with fermionic generators j BRST and composite b ghost. After untwisting the formalism to an N=1 worldsheet theory with fermionic stress tensor j BRST + b, the worldsheet variables combine into N=1 worldsheet superfields X m and Θα together with a superfield constraint relating DX m and DΘα. The constraint implies that the worldsheet superpartner of θ α is a bosonic twistor variable, and different solutions of the constraint give rise to the pure spinor or extended RNS formalisms, as well as a new twistor-string formalism with manifest N=1 worldsheet supersymmetry.
These N=1 worldsheet methods generalize in curved Ramond-Ramond backgrounds, and a manifestly N=1 worldsheet supersymmetric action is proposed for the superstring in an AdS5 × S 5 background in terms of the twistor superfields. This AdS5 × S 5 worldsheet action is a remarkably simple fermionic coset model with manifest PSU(2, 2|4) symmetry and might be useful for computing AdS5 × S 5 superstring scattering amplitudes.
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ArXiv ePrint: 1604.04617
Dedicated to the memory of Mario Tonin.
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Berkovits, N. Untwisting the pure spinor formalism to the RNS and twistor string in a flat and AdS5 × S 5 background. J. High Energ. Phys. 2016, 127 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP06(2016)127
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP06(2016)127