Localization of effective actions in open superstring field theory

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how the effective action for open superstring fields localizes at the boundary of moduli space, simplifying calculations and reproducing known gauge theory and instanton results.

Contribution

It provides a new algebraic construction for the effective action in superstring field theory and shows its localization property, connecting string theory to gauge theory and instanton physics.

Findings

Effective potential localizes at moduli space boundary

Reproduces Yang-Mills quartic potential

Recovers instanton effective action for Dp/D(p-4) systems

Abstract

We consider the construction of the algebraic part of D-branes tree-level effective action from Berkovits open superstring field theory. Applying this construction to the quartic potential of massless fields carrying a specific worldsheet charge, we show that the full contribution to the potential localizes at the boundary of moduli space, reducing to elementary two-point functions. As examples of this general mechanism, we show how the Yang-Mills quartic potential and the instanton effective action of a $Dp/D(p-4)$ system are reproduced