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Textbook
The required text for this class is:
Zwiebach, Barton. A First Course in String Theory. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2004. ISBN: 9780521831437.
All readings are assigned out of this book.
Additional Reference
A new readable book at the graduate level is:
Becker, Katrin, Melanie Becker, and John H. Schwarz. String Theory and M-Theory: A Modern Introduction. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2007. ISBN: 9780521860697.
Course readings.
| SES # |
TOPICS |
READINGS |
| 1 |
Announcements, introduction
Lorentz transformations
Light-cone coordinates
|
Sections 2.1-2.3 |
| 2 |
Energy and momentum
Compact dimensions, orbifolds
Quantum mechanics and the square well
|
Sections 2.4-2.9 |
| 3 |
Relativistic electrodynamics
Gauss' law
Gravitation and Planck's length
|
Sections 3.1-3.6 |
| 4 |
Gravitational potentials, compactification, and large extra dimensions |
Sections 3.7-3.10 |
| 5 |
Nonrelativistic strings and Lagrangian mechanics |
Chapter 4 |
| 6 |
The relativistic point particle: Action, reparametrizations, and equations of motion |
Chapter 5 |
| 7 |
Area formula for spatial surfaces |
|
| 8 |
Area formula for spatial surfaces (cont.) |
|
| 9 |
Change of variables |
|
| 10 |
Relativistic strings: Nambu-Goto action, equations of motion and boundary conditions |
Sections 6.1-6.5 |
| 11 |
Static gauge, transverse velocity, and string action
Motion of free open string endpoints
|
Sections 6.6-6.9 |
| 12 |
The sigma-parametrization
Equations of motion and virasoro constraints
General motion for open strings
Rotating open strings
|
Chapter 7 |
|
Test 1 |
|
| 13 |
Periodicity conditions for the motion of closed strings
The formation of cusps
Conserved currents in E&M
Conserved charges in lagrangian mechanics
|
|
| 14 |
Momentum charges for the string
Lorentz charges for the strings
Angular momentum of the rotating string
Discuss alpha' and the string length l_s
General gauges: fixing tau and natural units
|
Sections 8.4-8.6, 9.1 |
| 15 |
Solution of the open string motion in the light-cone gauge |
Sections 9.2-9.4 |
| 16 |
Light-cone fields and particles |
Sections 9.5-10.1 |
| 17 |
Light-cone fields and particles (cont.) |
Sections 10.2-10.4 |
| 18 |
Open strings |
|
| 19 |
Critical dimension
Constructing the state space
Tachyons
|
|
| 20 |
Closed strings |
|
| 21 |
Wrap-up of closed strings
Superstrings
|
|
|
Test 2 |
|
| 22 |
Superstrings (cont.) |
|
| 23 |
Closed strings
Heterotic string theory
|
|
| 24 |
Dp-branes
Parallel Dp's
|
|
| 25 |
Dp-branes (cont.) |
|
| 26 |
Final exam review |
|
|
Final exam week |
|