[SOLVED] Superstrings

[computergeek6933]

Hello, this is my first post on the forum. I have merely one quetsion..... if one were to "hold" a superstring, that is, to prevent it from vibrating, what would happen?

[LURCH]

I believe it would cease to exist. AIUI, superstrings are made of nothing other than their own vibration. At least, that's the most popular theory ATM.

EDIT: Welcome to the Forums![:D]

[jeff]

Originally posted by LURCH
I believe it would cease to exist.

String theory allows massless nonvibrating strings.

[LURCH]

Originally posted by jeff
String theory allows massless nonvibrating strings.

I have never heard that before. Not to hijack the Topic, but now I simply must know more.

I thought string theory proposed that all of the properties that constitute "existance" i.e. mass, charge, spin, et al were caused by the vibration. If a superstring is not vibrating it ceases to have any properties, does it not? If it has no properties, how can it be said to exist?

[jeff]

String mass and transformation properties under spacetime supersymmetry (i.e. "spin") have a dependence on vibrational degrees of freedom while yang-mills charges don't, they simply sit at the ends of open strings.

The ground states of the R-sector (Ramond sector) of the unoriented type I open plus closed superstring theory, and the R-R sector in the type IIA and IIB superstring theories are massless string states that include no vibrational modes.

There are also nonvibrating tachyonic states.