Strings in Ramond-Ramond backgrounds from the Neveu-Schwarz-Ramond formalism

Abstract

We treat RR flux backgrounds of type II string theory in the framework of closed superstring field theory based on the NSR formalism, focusing on two examples: (1) the pp-wave background supported by 5-form flux, and (2) AdS3 × S3 × M4 supported by mixed 3-form fluxes. In both cases, we analyze the classical string field solution perturbatively, and compute the correction to the dispersion relation of string states to quadratic order in the RR flux. In the first example, our result is in a delicate way consistent with that obtained from lightcone quantization of the Green-Schwarz string. In the second example, we will obtain numerically the mass corrections to pulsating type IIB strings in AdS3 × S3 × M4. Our results, valid at finite AdS radius, agree with previously known answers in the semiclassical limit and in the BMN limit respectively.