Heterotic M(atrix) Strings and Their Interactions

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that heterotic M(atrix) string theory, derived from M(atrix) theory on $S_1/Z_2$, provides a non-perturbative second-quantized description of light-cone heterotic strings, including their interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a specific (8,0) supersymmetric gauge theory framework for heterotic M(atrix) strings and analyzes their strong coupling limit and interactions.

Findings

Strong coupling flows to a superconformal field theory with $S_N$ symmetry.

Leading correction describes string joining and splitting interactions.

Proposes a M(atrix) model for bosonic strings via dimensional reduction.

Abstract

Following recent proposal of Dijkgraaf, Verlinde and Verlinde, we show that the M(atrix) theory compactified on $S_1/Z_2$ provides with a non-perturbative description of second-quantized light-cone heterotic string. This so-called heterotic M(atrix) string theory is defined by two-dimensional (8,0) supersymmetric chiral gauge theory with gauge group SO(2N) in the large N limit. We argue that at strong coupling fixed point the chiral gauge theory flows to a (8,0) superconformal field theory defined via $S_N$ symmetric product space orbifold. We show that the leading order correction to the strong coupling expansion corresponds to a unique irrelevant operator of scaling dimension three and describes joining and splitting cubic interactions of light-cone heterotic string. We also speculate on M(atrix) description of bosonic strings via dimensional reduction of d=26 Yang-Mills theory.