On-shell Recursion in String Theory

TY - JOUR

T1 - On-shell Recursion in String Theory

AU - Boels, Rutger Herman

AU - Obers, Niels Anne Jacob

AU - Marmiroli, Daniele

PY - 2010/10/1

Y1 - 2010/10/1

N2 - We prove that all open string theory disc amplitudes in a flat background obey Britto-Cachazo-Feng-Witten (BCFW) on-shell recursion relations, up to a possible reality condition on a kinematic invariant. Arguments that the same holds for tree level closed string amplitudes are given as well. Non-adjacent BCFW-shifts are related to adjacent shifts through monodromy relations for which we provide a novel CFT based derivation. All possible recursion relations are related by old-fashioned string duality. The field theory limit of the analysis for amplitudes involving gluons is explicitly shown to be smooth for both the bosonic string as well as the superstring. In addition to a proof a less rigorous but more powerful argument based on the underlying CFT is presented which suggests that the technique may extend to a much more general setting in string theory. This is illustrated by a discussion of the open string in a constant B-field background and the closed string on the level of the sphere.

AB - We prove that all open string theory disc amplitudes in a flat background obey Britto-Cachazo-Feng-Witten (BCFW) on-shell recursion relations, up to a possible reality condition on a kinematic invariant. Arguments that the same holds for tree level closed string amplitudes are given as well. Non-adjacent BCFW-shifts are related to adjacent shifts through monodromy relations for which we provide a novel CFT based derivation. All possible recursion relations are related by old-fashioned string duality. The field theory limit of the analysis for amplitudes involving gluons is explicitly shown to be smooth for both the bosonic string as well as the superstring. In addition to a proof a less rigorous but more powerful argument based on the underlying CFT is presented which suggests that the technique may extend to a much more general setting in string theory. This is illustrated by a discussion of the open string in a constant B-field background and the closed string on the level of the sphere.

U2 - 10.1007/jhep10(2010)034

DO - 10.1007/jhep10(2010)034

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1126-6708

VL - 2010

SP - 043

JO - Journal of High Energy Physics (Online)

JF - Journal of High Energy Physics (Online)

ER -