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KEK-TH-711 UTHEP-433 YITP-00-51 hep-th/0009107 Free Field Approach to String Theory on AdS 3 1 0 Kazuo Hosomichi∗, 0 2 Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics n Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan a J 9 Kazumi Okuyama† 1 High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) 3 Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan v 7 and 0 1 Yuji Satoh‡ 9 0 Institute of Physics, University of Tsukuba 0 Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8571, Japan 0 / h t - p Abstract e h : v We discuss the correlation functions of the SL(2,C)/SU(2) WZW model, or the CFT i X on the Euclidean AdS . We argue that their calculation is reduced to that of a free theory r 3 a by taking into account the renormalization and integrating out a certain zero-mode, which is an analog of the zero-mode integration in Liouville theory. Based on the resultant free field picture, we give a simple prescription for calculating the correlation functions. The known exact two- and three-point functions of generic primary fields are correctly obtained, including numerical factors. We also obtain some four-point functions of primaries by solving the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equation, and verify that our prescription indeed gives them. PACS: 11.25.-w, 11.25.Hf keywords: SL(2,C)/SU(2)WZWmodel,freefields, KZequation,AdS/CFTcorrespondence ∗[email protected][email protected][email protected] 1 Introduction The SL(2,R) WZW model is the theory of a string propagating on AdS in the presence 3 of non-zero B-field. This theory is closely related to the physics of black holes in various dimensions, and it has also an application to the AdS/CFT correspondence [1, 2, 3]. At the same time, various conventional techniques of conformal field theory allows us to analyze the theory in great detail[4, 5, 6]. Although our knowledge of thie model is far from complete due to the difficulty arising from the non-compactness of the target space, many recent works[7]-[17] have clarified some of its fundamental properties. For actual applications, the Euclidean version of the SL(2,R) WZW model is equally important. The Euclidean AdS is given by the quotient space H+ = SL(2,C)/SU(2), and 3 3 the string theory on this space is also described by a WZW-like action. Since the action reduces to a particularly simple form if we use a certain coordinate system, we can analyze the theory from the Lagrangian approach [18, 19, 15]. Alternatively, we can analyze the system based on a free field realization of current algebra [20]-[27], [9, 13, 14, 17]. One can also study the theory based on the symmetry and bootstrap condition [28, 29] or by solving the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov(KZ) equation [30]-[34]. These different approaches are of complementary use to one another and, in order to obtain a complete understanding of this theory, it is desirable to clarify how these approaches are related to one another. In this paper, we discuss the correlation functions of the H+ WZW model. We start 3 from the full Lagrangian and primary fields. Then by integrating out a certain zero-mode and taking into account the renormalization, it is argued that the expression of the cor- relators becomes that of a free theory. Using the resultant free field picture, we calculate the correlation functions explicitly and obtain the results which are consistent with other approaches. This paperisorganizedasfollows. Insection2webrieflysummarize theH+ WZWmodel. 3 Insection3wearguehowthefreefieldpictureemerges, andgiveaprescription forcalculating correlators. Usingthisprescriptionwecalculatethetwo-andthree-point functionsofprimary fields, and find that the known results are correctly obtained, including numerical factors. In section 4 we obtain some four-point functions of primary fields by solving the KZ equation. We see that it can be solved explicitly if we put a certain condition on the SL(2,C) spins of four primaries. Rewriting the solutions in a form manifestly symmetric in four vertices, we find that they can be easily reproduced from our free field prescription. We conclude with a brief discussion in section 5. 2 H+ WZW model 3 We begin with a brief review of the H+ WZW model. We follow the notations in [15] 3 and some details are found there. The Euclidean AdS is equivalent to the quotient space 3 1 H+ SL(2,C)/SU(2), and the sigma model on this space with non-zero NS-NS B-field is 3 ≡ known to be described by a WZW-like action. In a certain parameterization the worldsheet action becomes k S = d2z[∂φ∂¯φ+e2φ∂γ¯∂¯γ] . (2.1) π Z As in ordinary WZW models, this theory has an affine SL(2,C) SL(2,C) symmetry. × However, unlike ordinary WZW theories, the left- and the right-moving currents are complex conjugate to each other. An important class of operators are the primary fields Φ (z,x) (eφ γ x 2 +e−φ)2j , (2.2) j ≡ | − | which are characterized by the following OPEs with the SL(2) currents jA(z): DAΦ (w,x) jA(z)Φ (w,x) j , (2.3) j ∼ − z w − D− = ∂ , D3 = x∂ j , D+ = x2∂ 2jx , (2.4) x x x − − and similarly with ¯jA. Since j merely labels the second Casimir of SL(2,C), there must be a relation between the primary fields of spin j and j 1. Classically they are related by − − 2j +1 Φ (z,x) = d2y x y 4jΦ (z,y), (2.5) j −j−1 π | − | Z but the coefficient in the right hand side may get quantum corrections. The action (2.1) has a very simple form and allows us to carry out the path integration explicitly. Insomeearlyworks[18,19]thetheorywasanalyzedinthepath-integralformalism, using the action (2.1) and the SL(2,C)-invariant measure g = φ (eφγ) (eφγ¯) . (2.6) D D D D There, it was shown that, after a suitable treatment of divergences arising from zero-mode integrals, one can obtain finite result for various correlators. Based on this formalism, a recent work [15] has given the two- and three-point functions of primary fields, which agree with the results in [28, 29]. 3 Reduction to free-theory representation 3.1 General Argument To start our argument, we first rewrite the action (2.1) by introducing auxiliary fields β ¯ and β, and obtain S = S +S , 0 int 1 S = d2z k∂φ∂¯φ β∂¯γ β¯∂γ¯ , (3.1) 0 π − − Z1 (cid:16) (cid:17) S = d2zββ¯e−2φ . int −kπ Z 2 The SL(2) invariant measure is then φ (eφγ) (eφγ¯) (e−φβ) (e−φβ¯) . (3.2) D D D D D Using the above action and measure, correlators are defined by X φ (eφγ) (eφγ¯) (e−φβ) (e−φβ¯)exp[ S] X . (3.3) h i ≡ D D D D D − · Z Although the above action seems almost free, it still describes an interacting theory because of the term S . In terms of the fields in (3.1), the affine symmetry of the original action int (2.1) is translated into the symmetry under 1 1 δγ = ǫ(γ) , δγ¯ = ǫ′′e−2φ , δφ = ǫ′ , −2 −2 k δβ = ǫ′β + e2φ∂(e−2φǫ′′) , δβ¯ = 0 . (3.4) − 2 Here, ǫ(γ) = ǫ (z) +ǫ (z)γ +ǫ (z)γ2 and primes denote the derivatives with respect to γ. − 3 + Similar transformations hold also for ¯jA. In the following we consider the correlation functions of the primary fields Φ . For later j use, we expand Φ in terms of e−2φ: j Φ = Φf 1+ (e−2φ) , (3.5) j j O (cid:16) (cid:17) where Φf(z,x) = x γ 4je2jφ . (3.6) j | − | The correlator of Φ is written as j N Φ (z ,x ) (3.7) ja a a * + a=1 Y N = φ (eφγ) (eφγ¯) (e−φβ) (e−φβ¯)exp[ S] Φf (z ,x ) 1+ (e−2φ) . D D D D D − ja a a O Z aY=1 (cid:16) (cid:17) From the index theorem for the fields (β,γ) with spin (1,0), the zero-mode part of the measure is dφ dγ dγ¯ dgβ dgβ¯ e2(1−g)φ0 , (3.8) 0 0 0 0 0 whereφ ,γ ,...arethezero-modesoftherespective fieldsandg isthegenusoftheworldsheet. 0 0 In this paper, we focus on the case g = 0, in which the above expression becomes dφ d2γ e2φ0. 0 0 An important point in our argument is that one can first perform the integration over φ . 0 The φ integral in (3.7) reads 0 d2w dφ e2(Σaja+1)φ0exp e−2φ0 ββ¯e−2φq 1+ (e−2φ) 0 " kπ #· O Z Z (cid:16) (cid:17) 1 d2w aja+1 = Γ( j 1) ββ¯e−2φq 1+ (e−2φq) , 2 − a a − "− kπ #P · O Z (cid:16) (cid:17) P 3 where φ denotes the non-zero mode of φ and (e−2φq) represents the contributions from the q O higher order terms in e−2φq. Since the interaction term S appears only in the above form, int the remaining functional integration reduces to that with respect to the free action S . 0 Next we perform the functional integration over the non-zero modes. The functional ¯ determinant coming from the integration over βγ and βγ¯ gives a shift of the kinetic term of φ: 2 φ det−1(e−φq∂e2φq∂¯e−φq) = exp d2z ∂φ∂¯φ+ q√gR . (3.9) " π 4π !# Z The resultant expression for the correlation function of the primaries is then N Φ (z ,x ) (3.10) ja a a * + a=1 Y 1 N f = Γ( j 1) dγ dγ¯ Φf (z ,x ) 1+ (e−2φ) S Σaja+1 , 2 − a a − 0 0* ja a a O int + P Z aY=1 (cid:16) (cid:17) φ0=0,γ0,γ¯0 where the bracket A f represents the Wick contraction of A using1 h iφ0=0,γ0,γ¯0 φ(z) = φ +φ (z), φ (z)φ (w) f = b2ln z w , 0 q h q q iφ0,γ0,γ¯0 − | − | (3.11) γ(z) = γ +γ (z), β(z)γ (w) f = (z w)−1 , 0 q h q iφ0,γ0,γ¯0 − with b−2 = k 2. − Furthermore, similarly to the discussions in [19, 15], one can show that the (e−2φ) terms O disappear after the renormalization because of the self-contraction of eφ(za)s (at least when the calculation can be carried out). Hence we arrive at the expression f N 1 N Φ (z ,x ) = Γ( j 1) dγ dγ¯ Φf (z ,x )S Σaja+1 . (3.12) * ja a a + 2 − a a − 0 0* ja a a int + aY=1 P Z aY=1 φ0=0,γ0,γ¯0 Since it turns out that Φf correspond to the primaries in a free theory, the right-hand side is j nothing but a correlation function in a free theory with γ -integral. S plays the role of the 0 int screening operator. An anomaly term as in (3.9) may also be obtained by changing the measure (3.2) to ¯ φ γ γ¯ β β . (3.13) D D D D D Such a term and S then add up to 0 1 φ S = d2z (k 2)∂φ∂¯φ √gR β∂¯γ β¯∂γ¯ . (3.14) free π − − 4 − − Z h i The same φ dependence as in (3.8) comes from the term φ√gR and a similar calculation 0 in the above is possible. However, in this approach, the full SL(2) symmetry (3.4) appears 1 We omit the terms which arise because of the background metric. 4 subtle: in the full interacting theory, it is difficult to evaluate the Jacobian from (3.2) to (3.13) and Jacobians of the type (eǫ(γ)γ)/ γ, which are needed to check the invariance D D under (3.4).2 Alternatively, the expression (3.12) can be obtained by starting with the free theory with the action S and a perturbation term S . In this picture, all fields are free fields from the free int ¯ beginning and, for example, β,γ(β,γ¯) constitute a holomorphic (anti-holomorphic) bosonic ghost system. Φf are the primary fields with respect to the standard free field SL(2) currents: j ˆj− = β , ˆj3 = βγ +b−2∂φ , ˆj+ = βγ2 +2b−2γ∂φ+k∂γ . (3.15) Infact, Φf satisfytheOPEs(2.3)withˆjA andhaveworldsheet conformalweighth b2j(j+ j ≡ − 1). One then finds that the interaction S is made of a screening current ββ¯e−2φ which has int no singular OPEs with ˆjA up to total derivatives. Generic correlators in this case are defined as follows: ¯ ¯ X[φ,β,γ,β,γ¯] φ γ γ¯ β βexp[ S ] X exp[ S ] . (3.16) free int ≡ D D D D D − · − D E Z Now the SL(2) currents ˆjA are associated to the following symmetry of the path-integration: φ′ γ′ γ¯′ β′ β¯′exp[ S′ ] = φ γ γ¯ β β¯exp[ S ] , D D D D D − free D D D D D − free Z Z k 1 γ′ = γ +ǫ , β′ = β ǫ′β b−2ǫ′′∂φ+ ∂ǫ′′ , φ′ = φ ǫ′ , (3.17) − − 2 − 2 where ǫ is as given in (3.4).3 However, the above transformation leaves S invariant only int up to terms proportional to the equation of motion. Hence it is an on-shell or perturbative symmetry, but not the symmetry of the full theory based on the original action (2.1). Integrating over non-zero modes in (3.16), we obtain X = dφ dγ dγ¯ dgβ dgβ¯ e2(1−g)φ0 Xexp[ S ] f , (3.18) h i 0 0 0 0 0 h − int iφ0,γ0,γ¯0,β0,β¯0 Z where the bracket A f represents the Wick contraction of A as before. For correlators of h iφ0,··· primaries on a sphere, we actually obtain the same expression as in (3.12) by substituting X = N Φf (z ,x ) and integrating over φ . a=1 ja a a 0 Although we can obtain the same expressions for correlators, the underlying symmetry Q (3.17) is different from that of the full interacting theory as discussed above. Hence it is more appropriate to start from the full treatment if we try to analyze the original theory with the full symmetry (3.4) and regard the invariance of correlation functions as originating from the true symmetry of the Lagrangian. 2 Strictly speaking, one needs to check that the regularization in calculating (3.9) respects the SL(2) symmetry. However,our results indicate that the procedure in the above actually respect it in total. 3 Here, there is a subtlety again in evaluating Jacobians such as (eǫ(γ)γ)/ γ. D D 5 The procedure leading to (3.12) may be an analog of the Liouville case discussed by Goulian and Li [35] (see also [36, 37, 38]). Since the H+ theory is a little more complicated 3 than Liouville theory, we needed to take into account the renormalization in addition to the integral over φ . 0 Using thefreefieldprescription obtainedinthisway and, inparticular, theformula(3.12), we would like to obtain the explicit forms of the correlators and analytically continue them in j similarly to [39, 40]. Such a continuation may be justified along the same line as in the a Liouville case [41, 42]. Indeed, we will see that our correlators are in complete agreement with the exact results obtained by other approaches [28, 29, 15]. Fortheexpression (3.12)tomakesense, j +1shouldbeanon-negativeinteger, butthe a a prefactor Γ( j 1)isthen divergent. Similar divergences appearalso inLiouville theory. a a P − − In that case, they arise inevitably if we define correlation functions as analytic functions of P complex j [39, 40]. The situation in our case seems similar and j + 1 Z may be a a a ≥0 ∈ interpreted as a kind of “mass-shell” condition according to the Liouville case [43, 40]. P Also, the free field approach is usually taken to be valid as φ , namely, near the → ∞ boundary of AdS , because the interaction term S is vanishing there. The primaries Φ 3 int j reduce to Φf in that limit. However, an important consequence of our argument is that the j free field approach is more powerful as long as we consider the correlation functions of the primaries. Finally, we would like to comment onthe relationship to [15]. Our new prescription differs from those in [19] and [15] in which correlators are defined by taking projections onto the SL(2,C)-invariant part by hand and introducing delta-functionals such as δ2(e2φ(z0)γ(z )). 0 Because of such functionals, N-point functions are seemingly represented by (N + 1)-point functions in an ordinary sense. On the other hand, in our formula, an SL(2,C)-invariant result (in the sense of space-time) is obtained by the integration over the zero-modes of φ,γ,γ¯, and the calculation is very much simplified. One can confirm such simplifications in the following examples of the two- and three-point functions. 3.2 Two-Point Function For the two-point function, the formula (3.12) and the integration over γ ,γ¯ yield 0 0 Φ (z ,x )Φ (z ,x ) h j1 1 1 j2 2 2 i π = Γ( j j 1)∆(2j +1)∆(2j +1)∆( j j )Γ(j +j +2)−2 x 2j1+2j2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 12 2 − − − − − | | γ 2j1+2j2+2e2j1φ(z1)e2j2φ(z2)[ S ]j1+j2+1 f . 12 int · | | − φ0=γ0=γ¯0=0 D E Here γ = γ(z ) γ(z ), x = x x and we have introduced ∆(x) Γ(x)/Γ(1 x). The 12 1 2 12 1 2 − − ≡ − integration over γ can be carried out using the formula 0 d2x x 4j1 1 x 4j2 = π∆(2j +1)∆(2j +1)∆( 2j 2j 1) , 1 2 1 2 | | | − | − − − Z 6 and then we expanded a binomial γ x 4j1+4j2+2 and picked up the relevant term. The 12 12 | − | remaining free CFT correlator is given by a Dotsenko-Fateev integral [44]: 1 d2w j1+j2+1 f γ 2j1+2j2+2e2j1φ(z1)e2j2φ(z2) ββ¯e−2φ(w) Γ(j1 +j2 +2)2 *| 12| "Z kπ # +φ0=γ0=γ¯0=0 1 1 = z 2b2j1(j1+1)+2b2j2(j2+1)K(j , j , 0), | 12| 1 − 2b2 2 − 2b2 where n d2y K(α ,α ,α ) i y 4b2α1 1 y 4b2α2 y y −4b2 1 2 3 i i i j ≡ kπ | | | − | | − | Z i=1 i<j Y Y [k−1b−2b2∆(b2)]nΥ[b]Υ[ 2α b]Υ[ 2α b]Υ[ 2α b] 1 2 3 = − − − , (3.19) Γ(n+1)Υ[ ( α +1)b]Υ[ α b]Υ[ α b]Υ[ α b] i 12 23 31 − − − − P n = α +1+b−2 , α = α +α α , α = α +α α , α = α +α α . i 12 1 2 3 23 2 3 1 13 1 3 2 − − − X Here the integral is expressed using the Υ-function. The definition and some basic properties of Υ(x) are found, e.g., in the appendix of [15]. In calculating further, note that K(α ) becomes delta-functional in the limit α 0 with i 3 → the support on the zeroes of the denominator. Analyzing in a similar way as in [29, 15], we see that the relevant zeroes of the denominator are at j +j +1 = 0 and at j = j . Thus 1 2 1 2 we obtain Φ (z ,x )Φ (z ,x ) h j1 1 1 j2 2 2 i = z 4b2j1(j1+1)[A(j )δ2(x )iδ(j +j +1)+B(j ) x 4j1iδ(j j )] , 12 1 12 1 2 1 12 1 2 | | | | − π3 A(j) = , −(2j +1)2 B(j) = b2π2[k−1∆(b2)]2j+1∆[ b2(2j +1)] . (3.20) − Comparingthiswiththeresultof[15],weseethattheyagreeprecisely uptoanoverallnumer- ical factor. We also find an agreement with [28, 29] by appropriate changes of normalizations of the primaries. 3.3 Three-Point Function In calculating the three-point function, one has to make use of the SL(2) symmetry (2.3), and extract the x -dependence in the following way: a 3 Φ (z ,x ) = x 2jabD(j ,z ) , * ja a a + | ab| a a a=1 a<b Y Y 3 D(j ,z ) = x −2jab Φ (z ,x ) , (3.21) a a | ab| * ja a a +(cid:12) aY<b aY=1 (cid:12)x1,2,3=0,1,∞ (cid:12) (cid:12) (cid:12) 7 where we have used the notation j = j +j j , etc. The coefficient D(j ,z ) can then 12 1 2 3 a a − be calculated using (3.12). After separating the z -dependence by means of the worldsheet a SL(2,C) invariance, we find that the remaining part is again described by a Dotsenko-Fateev integral: π D(j ,z ) = z −2hab Γ( Σj 1)∆(2j +1)∆(2j +1)∆( j ) a a ab a 1 2 12 | | · 2 − − − a<b Y 1 1 K(j ,j ,j ) . (3.22) · 1 − 2b2 2 − 2b2 3 Here we have used h = h +h h , etc. Summarizing, the three-point function is given by 12 1 2 3 − 3 Φ (z ,x ) = D(j ) z −2hab x 2jab , * ja a a + a | ab| | ab| a=1 a<b Y Y b2π[k−1b−2b2∆(b2)]Σja+1Υ[b]Υ[ 2j b]Υ[ 2j b]Υ[ 2j b] 1 2 3 D(j ) = − − − . (3.23) a 2 Υ[ (Σj +1)b]Υ[ j b]Υ[ j b]Υ[ j b] a 12 13 23 − − − − This is again in precise agreement with the known results. Before concluding this section, we would like to note that our two- and three-point func- tions are consistent with the following symmetry of primary fields: Φ (z,x) = R(j) d2y x y 4jΦ (z,y) , j −j−1 | − | Z (2j +1)2b2 2j+1 R(j) = ∆[ (2j +1)b2] k−1∆(b2) . (3.24) − π − h i This is understood as a non-trivial check that the procedure in subsection 3.1 respected the SL(2) symmetry. It is straightforward to write down an integral formula for N-point functions of primary fields. We will give the explicit expression in the N = 4 case in the next section. 4 Solving Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equation To see that our prescription works also for four-point functions, we would like to obtain some of them from a different approach: by solving the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov(KZ) equa- tion. We will find that some solutions obtained in this way are also calculated correctly and easily from our prescription in section 3. For generic correlators of primaries, the KZ equation is given by ∂ b2 z−1 Φ (z ,x ) = 0 , (4.1)  za − bX(6=a) ab Lab*Yc jc c c +   = x2 ∂ ∂ 2x (j ∂ j ∂ ) 2j j . Lab ab xa xb − ab a xb − b xa − a b 8 In the case of four-point functions, the worldsheet and space-time SL(2,C) invariances de- termine their form up to an arbitrary function of cross ratios: 4 4 Φ (z ,x ) = z 2b2µab x 2λabF(z,x) , (4.2) * ja a a + | ab| | ab| a=1 a<b Y Y z z x x 41 23 41 23 z , x . (4.3) ≡ z z ≡ x x 43 21 43 21 If we choose λ and µ in the following way, ab ab λ = j +j j +j , µ = ∆ +∆ ∆ +∆ +2j j +2j j , 12 1 2 3 4 12 1 2 3 4 1 4 2 4 − − λ = j j +j j , µ = ∆ ∆ +∆ ∆ 2j j , 13 1 2 3 4 13 1 2 3 4 2 4 − − − − − λ = 0 , µ = 2j j , 14 14 1 4 − (4.4) λ = j +j +j j , µ = ∆ +∆ +∆ ∆ 2j j , 23 1 2 3 4 23 1 2 3 4 1 4 − − − − − λ = 0 , µ = 2j j , 24 24 2 4 − λ = 2j , µ = 2∆ +2j j +2j j , 34 4 34 4 1 4 2 4 with ∆ = j (j +1), the KZ equation for F(z,x) becomes a a a 1 ∂ xP (1 x)P 0 1 0 = + + − F , (4.5) "b2∂z z z 1 # − P = x(1 x)∂2 +[γ (1+α+β)x]∂ αβ , i − x i − x − α = 2j , β = j j +j j , γ = 2j 2j , γ = 1 j +j +j j . 4 1 2 3 4 0 1 4 1 1 2 3 4 − − − − − − − − We see that P in the above are nothing but the hypergeometric differentials. Hence it is i expected that, under certain conditions on j , the solution can be written down explicitly a using hypergeometric functions. In the following we will give some examples in which the KZ equation is solved rather easily. 4.1 j = 1 a a − ThPe simplest example is the case j = 1. Since γ = γ and the two hypergeometric a a 0 1 − differentials coincide in this case, one can find a solution with F(z,x) independent of z. The P four-point function is therefore given by 4 Φ (z ,x ) = x 2(j1+j2−j3+j4) x 2(j1−j2+j3−j4) x 2(−j1+j2+j3−j4) x 4j4 * ja a a + | 12| | 13| | 23| | 34| a=1 Y 4 z −4b2jajb f(x) , (4.6) ab · | | · a<b Y 9

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