On Higher-spin Generalisations of String Theory

TL;DR

This paper develops BRST operators for higher-spin extensions of string theory, exploring their physical states and connections to minimal models, thus broadening the understanding of gauge symmetries in string frameworks.

Contribution

It introduces new BRST operators for higher-spin Virasoro algebra extensions, enabling analysis of their physical states and relationships to minimal models.

Findings

Constructed BRST operators for higher-spin extensions.

Analyzed physical state structure of these theories.

Linked higher-spin models to minimal models.

Abstract

We construct BRST operators for certain higher-spin extensions of the Virasoro algebra, in which there is a spin-$s$ gauge field on the world sheet, as well as the spin-2 gauge field corrresponding to the two-dimensional metric. We use these BRST operators to study the physical states of the associated string theories, and show how they are related to certain minimal models.