Normalization of ZZ instanton amplitudes in type 0B minimal superstring theory

• Published in: The journal of high energy physics 2024-09, Vol.2024 (9), p.114-57, Article 114
• Main Authors: Chakrabhavi, Vivek, Eniceicu, Dan Stefan, Mahajan, Raghu, Murdia, Chitraang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agreements; Classical and Quantum Gravitation; Cosmological constant; D-Branes; Elementary Particles; Field theory; Instantons; Integrals; Phase transitions; Phases; Physicists; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum Field Theories; Quantum Field Theory; Quantum Physics; Regular Article - Theoretical Physics; Relativity Theory; Saddle points; String Field Theory; String Theory; Superstrings and Heterotic Strings
• ISSN: 1029-8479; 1029-8479
• DOI: 10.1007/JHEP09(2024)114

A bstract We study ZZ instanton corrections in the (2 , 4 k ) N = 1 minimal superstring theory with the type 0B GSO projection, which becomes the type 0B N = 1 super-JT gravity in the k → ∞ limit. Each member of the (2 , 4 k ) family of theories has two phases distinguished by the sign of the Liouville bulk cosmological constant. The worldsheet method for computing the one-loop normalization constant multiplying the instanton corrections gives an ill-defined answer in both phases. We fix these divergences using insights from string field theory and find finite, unambiguous results. Each member of the (2 , 4 k ) family of theories is dual to a double-scaled one-matrix integral, where the double-scaling limit can be obtained starting either from a unitary matrix integral with a leading one-cut saddle point, or from a hermitian matrix integral with a leading two-cut saddle point. The matrix integral exhibits a gap-closing transition, which is the same as the double-scaled Gross-Witten-Wadia transition when k = 1. We also compute instanton corrections in the double-scaled matrix integral for all k and in both phases, and find perfect agreement with the string theory results.