Hidden Symmetries of the Open N=2 String

TL;DR

This paper reveals an infinite set of abelian symmetries in the open N=2 string, linking them to the integrable hierarchy of self-dual Yang-Mills equations through twistor and BRST formalisms.

Contribution

It uncovers a new infinite symmetry structure of the open N=2 string and connects it to the integrable hierarchy of self-dual Yang-Mills theory using twistor and BRST approaches.

Findings

Identification of infinite abelian symmetries in open N=2 string

Connection between string symmetries and self-dual Yang-Mills integrability

Interpretation of the picture phenomenon via moduli space of backgrounds

Abstract

It is known for ten years that self-dual Yang-Mills theory is the effective field theory of the open N=2 string in 2+2 dimensional spacetime. We uncover an infinite set of abelian rigid string symmetries, corresponding to the symmetries and integrable hierarchy of the self-dual Yang-Mills equations. The twistor description of the latter naturally connects with the BRST approach to string quantization, providing an interpretation of the picture phenomenon in terms of the moduli space of string backgrounds.