Gauge Transformation of Double Field Theory for Open String

TL;DR

This paper develops a gauge transformation framework for double field theory applied to open strings, combining symmetry structures of coordinates and deriving a generalized scalar curvature, leading to a double sigma model equivalent to the ordinary one.

Contribution

It introduces a gauge transformation of the generalized metric for open strings, deriving the $F$-bracket and constructing a double sigma model with boundary terms.

Findings

The $F$-bracket differs from the Courant bracket by an exact one-form.

A suitable action with non-zero $H$-flux is deduced from symmetry considerations.

The double sigma model with constraints is classically equivalent to the ordinary sigma model.

Abstract

We combine symmetry structures of ordinary (parallel directions) and dual (transversal directions) coordinates to construct the Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) theory. The ordinary coordinates are associated with the Neumann boundary conditions and the dual coordinates are associated with the Dirichlet boundary conditions. Gauge fields become scalar fields by exchanging the ordinary and dual coordinates. A gauge transformation of a generalized metric is governed by the generalized Lie derivative. The gauge transformation of the massless closed string theory gives the $C$-bracket, but the gauge transformation of the open string theory gives the $F$-bracket. The $F$-bracket with the strong constraints is different from the Courant bracket by an exact one-form. This exact one-form should come from the one-form gauge field. Based on symmetry point of view, we deduce a suitable action with a non-zero $H$-flux at the low-energy level. From an equation of motion of the scalar dilaton, it defines a generalized scalar curvature. Finally, we construct a double sigma model with a boundary term and show that this model with constraints is classically equivalent to the ordinary sigma model.