Dynamics of Dirichlet-Neumann Open Strings on D-branes

TL;DR

This paper develops a method to compute scattering amplitudes of open strings with mixed boundary conditions on D-branes, using twist fields, and verifies their consistency with supersymmetric field theory predictions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to calculate scattering amplitudes of Dirichlet-Neumann open strings using twist fields and confirms their agreement with low-energy field theory results.

Findings

Computed three- and four-point amplitudes for (5,9) strings on branes.

Amplitudes match supersymmetric Yang-Mills field theory in low energy limit.

(1,5) strings couple only to the dilaton among massless closed strings.

Abstract

Method for computing scattering amplitudes of open strings with Dirichlet boundary on one end and Neumann boundary condition on the other is described. Vertex operator for these states are constructed using twist fields which have been studied previously in the context of Ashkin-Teller model and strings on orbifolds. Using these vertex operators, we compute the three- and four-point scattering amplitudes for (5,9) strings on 5-branes and 9-branes. In the low energy limit, these amplitudes are found to be in exact agreement with the field theory amplitudes for supersymmetric Yang-Mills coupled to hypermultiplets in 6-dimensions. We also consider the 1-brane 5-brane system and compute the amplitude for a pair of (1,5) strings to collide and to escape the brane as a closed string. (1,5) strings are found to be remarkably selective in their coupling to massless closed strings in NS-NS sector; they only couple to the dilaton.