Closed N=2 Strings: Picture-Changing, Hidden Symmetries and SDG Hierarchy

We study the action of picture-changing and spectral flow operators on a ground ring of ghost number zero operators in the chiral BRST cohomology of the closed N=2 string and describe an infinite set of symmetry charges acting on physical states. The transformations of physical string states are compared with symmetries of self-dual gravity which is the effective field theory of the closed N=2 string. We derive all infinitesimal symmetries of the self-dual gravity equations in 2+2 dimensional spacetime and introduce an infinite hierarchy of commuting flows on the moduli space of self-dual metrics. The dependence on moduli parameters can be recovered by solving the equations of the SDG hierarchy associated with an infinite set of abelian symmetries generated recursively from translations. These non-local abelian symmetries are shown to coincide with the hidden abelian string symmetries responsible for the vanishing of most scattering amplitudes. Therefore, N=2 string theory "predicts" not only self-dual gravity but also the SDG hierarchy.Comment: 41 pages, no figure

Instantons on the six-sphere and twistors

We consider the six-sphere S^6=G_2/SU(3) and its twistor space Z=G_2/U(2) associated with the SU(3)-structure on S^6. It is shown that a Hermitian Yang-Mills connection (instanton) on a smooth vector bundle over S^6 is equivalent to a flat partial connection on a vector bundle over the twistor space Z. The relation with Tian's tangent instantons on R^7 and their twistor description are briefly discussed.Comment: 12 pages; v2: clarifying comments added, published versio

Yang-Mills fields in flux compactifications on homogeneous manifolds with SU(4)-structure

The SU(4)-instanton equations are natural BPS equations for instantons on 8-manifolds. We study these equations on nearly Kaehler and Calabi-Yau torsion manifolds of the form M x G/H, with G/H a coset space and M a product of a torus with Euclidean space. By imposing G-invariance the instanton equations reduce to interesting equations on M; for example, equations used by Kapustin and Witten in the geometric Langlands program arise in this way. We carry out reductions in a number of examples, and where possible present simple solutions.Comment: 28+1 pages, 1 figure. v2 (published version) minor corrections to formulae and tex

Holomorphic Analogs of Topological Gauge Theories

We introduce a new class of gauge field theories in any complex dimension, based on algebra-valued (p,q)-forms on complex n-manifolds. These theories are holomorphic analogs of the well-known Chern-Simons and BF topological theories defined on real manifolds. We introduce actions for different special holomorphic BF theories on complex, Kahler and Calabi-Yau manifolds and describe their gauge symmetries. Candidate observables, topological invariants and relations to integrable models are briefly discussed.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX2e, shortened PLB versio

Solving String Field Equations: New Uses for Old Tools

It is argued that the (NS-sector) superstring field equations are integrable, i.e. their solutions are obtainable from linear equations. We adapt the 25-year-old solution-generating "dressing" method and reduce the construction of nonperturbative superstring configurations to a specific cohomology problem. The application to vacuum superstring field theory is outlined.Comment: Talk presented by O.L. at the 35th International Symposium Ahrenshoop on the Theory of Elementary Particles, Berlin, Germany, 26-30 Aug 2002; v2: minor corrections, textheight adjuste