PHY2406H Special Topic: String Theory Digitised lecture notes
awpeet (2006)
Note: "*" means homework posted online; "#" means homework due
date.
Week
Date
Lecture notes / topic
01 0111
Introduction to the course and the prof.
Negotiations on homework, exam, and office hours.
Why bother with string theory?
0113 Unification and
other motivators for bothering with strings; Classical physics of
non-relativistic and relativistic point particle (warm-up) bonus: plain-language
explanation of why closed/open strings have gravitons/gauge-ons as
their lowest modes
02
0118
Classical relativistic string theory:
the Nambu-Goto action
0120 Classical string
equations of motion; Boundary conditions; D-branes;
03 0125 Static gauge;
Endpoints; Spatial coordinate σ; Solving the equations of motion
for a general open string
0127 * Rigid rotator;
Worldsheet symmetry currents; Lorentz symmetry and conserved quantum
numbers
04
0201
Light-front coordinates;
"Light-cone" gauge [A.Saxena]
0203 #
Light-front coordinates;
"Light-cone" gauge [A.Saxena]
05 0208 Virasoro
modes; Quantizing in light-front gauge: Spin-zero
0210 Spin one;
Spin two; Quantum field theory for particle in light-front gauge;
(reminder re Heisenberg & Schrodinger pictures of quantum physics;)
Poincare symmetry generators
break *
[reading week]
07
0301 [double]
Quantizing the relativistic open string:
role of harmonic oscillators; Virasoro algebra; Lorentz algebra;
Critical dimension and zero-point energy;
0303 #
Constructing open string quantum
state space; Closed string mode expansion and state space;
Closed string states; Dilaton field &Phi
08 0308 * [double] Superstrings: worldsheet fermions, NS and R
sectors, GSO projection
0310
Parallel D-branes:
Quantum open strings of NN, ND, DN and DD type
09 0315 # Quantum open
strings stretched between Dp-branes and Dq-branes
0317
Circle compactification and
T-duality for closed strings
10
0322 *
T-duality for
open strings; the Hagedorn phenomenon
0324
Supergravity as the low-energy limit of
superstring theory
11 0329 # The Dark Side
of String Theory: black branes [for more, see e.g.
my PiTP'02 notes .]
0331
Computing black hole
thermodynamic entropy via superstring statistical mechanics
12
0405 *
Superstring duality (telegraphic)
0407
Gauge/string duality
13
0412 # [double]
Superstring cosmology [discussion/blackboard, no notes]
exam
0503 FINAL EXAM: Wednesday, May 3rd,
2-5PM, MP1115
Dates are in MMDD format, e.g. February 8th is "0208".
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Auxiliary notes
Students may wish to peruse notes from other courses I have
recently taught. This is not compulsory but may be quite
edifying.
Etc
I number important equations in my lecture notes, to help you
synchronize with auxiliary notes you may take during class.
Digitised lecture notes will be uplinked soon after each
lecture. Why after rather than before? Since important in-lecture
annotations to prepared notes will be made, uplinking of course
lecture notes prior to lecture would be inconsistent with causality. I
also have other sound educational reasons for loading lecture notes
after the fact. (Not to mention the common phenomenon of
last-minute titivations, like typo correction...
Important deadlines and dates can be found on the Arts
and Science Calendar Sessional Dates page .
awpeet (2006)
