Curricular Unit
Advanced Physics Topics 1
Module
Introduction to String Theory (IST)
Type
Tutorial: Reading and Study assignment
Contact hours
18
Professor/Researcher in charge
Miguel Costa and João Penedones , U. Porto
Summary of Contents
The course in based on a set of online lectures of Perimeter institute, which will be attended by the students and professors in charge, complemented by discussions and problem sessions. The topics are:
Lecture 1
- Review of Relativity, Light cone coordinates,
Compactification
Lecture 2 - Orbifolds, Nonrelativistic sting,
Relativistic point particle
Lecture 3 - Relativistic strings,
Nambu-Goto action
Lecture 4 - Boundary conditions: D-branes,
Static gauge, String in rest, Transverse velocity
Lecture 5 -
String parametrization, equations of classical motion and
constraints
Lecture 6 - Symmetries and conserved momentum and
Lorentz charges. general gauges.
Lecture 7 - Equations of motion
for free open strings, light-cone solutions, Virasoro
operators.
Lecture 8 - Light cone fields, Point particle
quantization
Lecture 9 - Quantization of point particle in light
cone gauge, Momentum and Lorentz generators
Lecture 10 -
Quantization of an open string I
Lecture 11 - Quantization of an
open string II: critical dimension, tachyon, Maxwell field
Lecture
12 - Quantization of a closed string; Virasoro operators, graviton,
dilaton
Lecture 13 - Strings on R^1/Z_2 orbifold. Action for
fermionic strings.
Lecture 14 - Quantizing superstrings: NS and R
sectors, Spacetime fermions.
Lecture 15 - Overview of superstring
theories, D-branes
Evaluation
Problems solved and presented by the students during the course.