Lecture 22

8.251 Spring 2007

Last Time: dynamical variables needed for describing superstrings

I
=1,2

1I = I1 ( )
2I = I2 ( + )
BCs: 1I (, )1I (, ) 2I (, )2I (, ) = 0
Suppose: 1I (, 0) = 0 then 1I ( ) = 0 by 1I = I ( ). Bad! Instead relate
1 and 2 , assemble full spin or I (, )

I (, ) =

1I (, )
2I (, )

[0, ]
[, 0]

I continuous at = 0 because of BC 11 (, ) = 2I (, ).

Either periodic or antiperiodic. Take periodic and get Rammond. (Actually

more complicated). Take antiperiodic and get Neven Schwarz BCS (2 years
after Rammond)

NS BC: I (, ) = I (, ). I (, ) =

rZ+ 12

bIr e(ir( )) .

Creation Operations: bI5/2 , bI3/2 , bI1/2

Destruction Operations: bI5/2 , bI3/2 , bI1/2
I is anticommutative, all bIr operations anticommutative.
bIr , bJs = r+s,0 IJ
NS State:

I
(n
)n,I
n=1
I=2

9
J=2

r= 12 , 32 , 52

(bIr )r,I

|N S p+ , p

Lecture 22

8.251 Spring 2007

r,I {0, 1}
Recall for open bosonic string, normal ordered:

M2 =

1
I
p
pI
2
pZ

Now:

M2 =

1
2

1
1
I
p
pI +
rbIr bIr
2
2
1

rbIr bIr =

r= 12 , 32

pZ

rZ+ 2

1
rbI bI
2 1 3 r r
r= 2 , 2

1
2

rbIr bIr

1
= (D 2)
2

1 3 5
+ + + ...
2 2 2

1
12

1
1 1
= (D 2)
2 12
2
1
= (D 2)
48
1
For boson, aB = 24
.

In open bosonic string, M 2 =

1
.
aB = 24

1
(. . . + 1)

where a = 1 but 24 contributions so

1
Here, aN S = 48
for antiperiodic fermion.

M2 =

1 I I
(
p p +
rbIr bIr + (D 2)(aB + aN S ))
p=1
1 3
r= 2 , 2

Lecture 22

8.251 Spring 2007

M2 =

1
1
(N )
tot 2

Add text here.

In early 1970s, confusion over whether these are bosons or fermions. Itll turn
out that these are photons.
Count states of a given N

Given:
a+
1 : f (x) =

n=0

xn

a(n)

number of states with N =n

|0N = 0, a+
= 1, (a1+ )2 |0N = 2
1 |0N

f1 (x) = 1 + x + x2 + . . . =

1
1x

Given:
2
4
a+
2 : f2 (x) = 1 + x + x + . . . =

1
1 x2

|0N = 0, a+
= 2, (a+
=4
2 |0N
2 ) |0N

f1 (x) = 1 + x + x2 + . . . =
Given:
+
a+
1 , a2 : f1 (x)f2 (x) =

1
1x

1
1

1 x 1 x2

+ +
Now can do full open bosonic string with a+
1 , a2 , a3 , . . .

Generating Function:

fos =

1
(1

xn )
n=1

Lecture 22

8.251 Spring 2007

fos =

1
=
(1 xn ) n=0
n=1

p(n)

xn

partitions of n

Partitions of 4: ({4}, {3, 1}, {2, 2}, {2, 1, 1}, {1, 1, 1, 1}) = number of ways to get
N = 4

ln p(N ) 2

N
6

1
exp(2
p(N )
4N 3

N
)M
6

For full open string:

fos =

1
(1

xn )24
n=1

This gives you degeneracy of any level of open string.

Given
Given
Given
Given

b+
1 : f1 (x) = 1 + x
2
b+
2 : f2 (x) = 1 + x
+ +
b1 , b2 : f12 (x) =
f1 (x)f2 (x) = (1 + x)(1 + x2 )
+
b 1 : f 12 (x) = 1 + x
2

fN S (x) =

xr = 1 2 + 8 x0 + 36 x 2 + (#)x1

a(r)

# of states with M 2 =r

8

1 1 + xn1
=
x n=1 1 xn
Ramond: I (, ) =

I
dIn exp(in( )). dm
, dIn = m+n,0 IJ .

dI0 8: 4 creation and 4 destruction = 1 , 2 , 3 , 4

Lecture 22

8.251 Spring 2007

Vacuum State: |0
|0: 1
I J |0: 6
1 2 3 4 |0: 1
This yields 8, |R1a .
I |0: 4
I J K |0: 4

This yields 8, |R2a .

8 + 8 = 16 gound states. Total set of vacua states: RA , A = 1 . . . 16, split into
2 types.

Ramond mass formula:

M2 =

1 I I I I
(

+
nd d )
p=1 p p n=1 n n

Substraction constant is equal to zero since aR =

M 2 = 0
M 2 = 1

|R1a
I
1
|R1a ,dI1 |R2a

1
24

|R2a
I
1
|R2a ,dI1 |R1a

Why is this supersymmetry? Left and right columns have opposite fermionic
states. Dont know if R1a is a boston or a fermion, but know R2a is the opposite.
No bosons that look like |R1a in real world

Partition function in Raman Sector

fR (x) = 16

1 + xn
n=1

1 xn

Lecture 22

8.251 Spring 2007

To get supersymmtry, throw out half of the states from each sector and put
them together.

1 8
1 8

1 1 + xn 2
1 xn 2
truncated

fN
=

S
1 xn
2 x n=1 1 xn
n=1
Anything with an odd number of fermions will change the sign.

fN S = 8

1 + xn
n=1

1 xn

Do we or dont we have supersymmetry?

1829: German Mathematician Jacoby wrote treatise on elliptic function with

this identity, labelled a very strange identity. Critical dimension D = 10 for
supersymmetry.