Abstract
The conventional open string theory is cast into the Becchi-Rouet-Stora (BRS) formulation of Fradkin and Vilkovisky. Upon quantizing this theory, the nilpotency condition of the BRS charge requires and for the space-time dimension and intercept parameter . Unitarity is proved by relating this theory to the old covariant quantization. The string theory is then generalized as suggested by Polyakov, taking into account the conformal or trace anomaly by , where yields the Liouville equation in the orthonormal gauge. Under the assumption that the exact quantization of Liouville's equation does not yield any additional anomalies, we show that the condition implies , in agreement with Polyakov's result, and the "intercept parameter" .
- Received 9 March 1983
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.28.2614
©1983 American Physical Society