The geometry of WZW branes

The structures in target space geometry that correspond to conformally invariant boundary conditions in WZW theories are determined both by studying the scattering of closed string states and by investigating the algebra of open string vertex operators. In the limit of large level, we find branes wh...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of geometry and physics Vol. 34; no. 2; pp. 162 - 190
Main Authors: Felder, Giovanni, Fröhlich, Jürg, Fuchs, Jürgen, Schweigert, Christoph
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier B.V 01.06.2000
Subjects:
Boundary conditions
Branes
Conformal field theory
Quantum field theory
WZW theory
Conformal field theory
81T30
81R10
Boundary conditions
81T40
WZW theory
Quantum field theory
Branes
ISSN:0393-0440, 1879-1662
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The structures in target space geometry that correspond to conformally invariant boundary conditions in WZW theories are determined both by studying the scattering of closed string states and by investigating the algebra of open string vertex operators. In the limit of large level, we find branes whose world volume is a regular conjugacy class or, in the case of symmetry breaking boundary conditions, a ‘twined’ version thereof. In particular, in this limit one recovers the commutative algebra of functions over the brane world volume, and open strings connecting different branes disappear. At finite level, the branes get smeared out, yet their approximate localization at (twined) conjugacy classes can be detected unambiguously. It is also established that in any rational conformal field theory the structure constants of the algebra of boundary operators coincide with specific entries of fusing matrices.
ISSN:0393-0440
1879-1662
DOI:10.1016/S0393-0440(99)00061-3