Massless spinning particle and null-string on $AdS_d$: projective-space approach

TL;DR

This paper develops a Hamiltonian framework for massless spinning particles and tensionless strings in AdS_d, deriving Lagrangians, analyzing classical integrability, and discussing quantum anomalies and BRST quantization.

Contribution

It introduces a projective-space approach to formulate and analyze massless spinning particles and tensionless strings on AdS_d, including classical and quantum aspects with anomaly analysis.

Findings

Classical equations of motion admit a Lax-type representation.

Quantum BRST charge is nilpotent under specific ordering schemes.

Anomalies arise in conformal reparametrizations and dilatations depending on ordering choices.

Abstract

Massless spinning particle and tensionless string models on $AdS_d$ background in the projective-space realization are proposed as constrained Hamiltonian systems. Various forms of particle and string Lagrangians are derived and classical mechanics is studied including the Lax-type representation of the equations of motion. After that transition to the quantum theory is discussed. Analysis of potential anomalies in the tensionless string model necessitates introduction of ghosts and BRST charge. It is shown that quantum BRST charge is nilpotent for any $d$ if coordinate-momentum ordering for the phase-space bosonic variables, Weyl ordering for the fermions and $cb$ ($\gamma\beta$) ordering for ghosts is chosen, while conformal reparametrizations and space-time dilatations turn out to be anomalous for the ordering in terms of positive and negative Fourier modes of the phase-space variables and ghosts.