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.
| 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 |