IngentaConnect Causality and supersymmetry in the superstring theory

Author: Pollock M.D.

Source: Classical and Quantum Gravity, Volume 20, Number 13, 2003 , pp. 2467-2475(9)

Publisher: Institute of Physics Publishing

Abstract:

Reduction of the ten-dimensional, heterotic-superstring effective action , including quartic higher-derivative terms , yields a physical four-action S which is tachyon-free up to quadratic order ² - the masses M₀ and M₂ of the spin-0 and spin-2 particles are both real - when the internal six-space is a Calabi-Yau metric and N 1 supersymmetry is preserved via the equation d tr() - Tr()/30 0, where is the totally antisymmetric three-index field (while the bosonic string and type-II superstring may contain a spin-2 tachyon and a spin-0 tachyon, respectively). Here, we show that this crucial feature is independent of imposing supersymmetry, for if d 0, there is an additional contribution to ² which, however, produces no tachyons. Thus, the requirement of a stable, causal theory singles out the heterotic superstring irrespective of the requirement of N 1 supersymmetry, which is essential at high energies rather for its roles in the vanishing of the cosmological constant and the maintenance of the gauge hierarchy.

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