Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the relationship between the worldsheet Weyl anomaly and the target spacetime Lorentz anomaly in bosonic string theory. Participants explore the implications of these anomalies and their connections to conformal transformations and gauge choices within the theory.
Discussion Character
- Technical explanation
- Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- Some participants inquire about a clear and simple explanation of how the worldsheet Weyl anomaly translates into the target spacetime Lorentz anomaly.
- One participant suggests that the presence of a Weyl anomaly indicates that the fields in the worldsheet action do not satisfy Einstein's equations in the context of general relativity.
- Another participant explains that the Weyl anomaly implies that conformal transformations are no longer a symmetry of the theory, leading to an anomalous Lorentz symmetry in the light cone gauge.
- This participant elaborates that under Lorentz transformations, a specific reference frame is altered, necessitating a gauge transformation to maintain the light cone gauge, which introduces terms in the Lorentz group generators related to conformal transformations.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express differing views on the correctness of bosonic string theory itself, with at least one participant asserting it is incorrect. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the clarity and simplicity of the explanations provided.
Contextual Notes
Some assumptions regarding the definitions of anomalies and gauge choices are not fully explored, and the implications of these anomalies on the broader framework of string theory are not settled.