Higgsing the stringy higher spin symmetry

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the large higher spin symmetry in the symmetric orbifold of T4 is broken when string tension is introduced, revealing Regge trajectories and suggesting a duality with an AdS background with RR flux.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of symmetry breaking in the symmetric orbifold theory under deformation, connecting higher spin fields to Regge trajectories and dual AdS backgrounds.

Findings

Symmetry generators organize into Regge trajectories.

Higher spin fields correspond to the leading Regge trajectory.

Evidence of logarithmic behavior in large spin Regge trajectories.

Abstract

It has recently been argued that the symmetric orbifold theory of T4 is dual to string theory on AdS3 x S3 x T4 at the tensionless point. At this point in moduli space, the theory possesses a very large symmetry algebra that includes, in particular, a $W_\infty$ algebra capturing the gauge fields of a dual higher spin theory. Using conformal perturbation theory, we study the behaviour of the symmetry generators of the symmetric orbifold theory under the deformation that corresponds to switching on the string tension. We show that the generators fall nicely into Regge trajectories, with the higher spin fields corresponding to the leading Regge trajectory. We also estimate the form of the Regge trajectories for large spin, and find evidence for the familiar logarithmic behaviour, thereby suggesting that the symmetric orbifold theory is dual to an AdS background with pure RR flux.