Spectral flow and string correlators in AdS$_3\times S^3 \times T^4$

Abstract

We consider three-point correlation functions for superstrings propagating in AdS$_3\times S^3 \times T^4$. In the RNS formalism, these generically involve correlators with current insertions. When vertex operators with non-trivial spectral flow charges are present, their complicated OPEs with the currents imply that standard methods can not be used to compute such correlators. Here we develop novel techniques for computing all $m$-basis correlators of the supersymmetric model. We then show how, in some cases, these results can be translated to the $x$-basis. We obtain a new family of holographic three-point functions involving spacetime chiral primaries living in spectrally flowed sectors of the worldsheet CFT. These match precisely the predictions from the holographic dual at the symmetric product orbifold point. Finally, we also consider long strings and compute the probability amplitude associated with the process describing the emission/absorption of fundamental string quanta.