More On Superstring Perturbation Theory: An Overview Of Superstring Perturbation Theory Via Super Riemann Surfaces

Understand

This article is devoted to an overview of superstring perturbation theory from the point of view of super Riemann surfaces.

• We aim to elucidate some of the subtleties of superstring perturbation that caused difficulty in the early literature, focusing on a concrete example -- the $SO(32)$ heterotic string compactified on a Calabi-Yau manifold, with the spin connection embedded in the gauge group.
• This model is known to be a significant test case for superstring perturbation theory.
• Supersymmetry is spontaneously broken at 1-loop order, and to treat correctly the supersymmetry-breaking effects that arise at 1- and 2-loop order requires a precise formulation of the procedure for integration over supermoduli space.