N=2 Heterotic Strings Revisited

Abstract

We show that $1+1$ dimensional vacua of the $(0,2)$ heterotic string have many properties in common with more recently studied physical systems. The free theory exhibits a symmetric product CFT structure. The single-string Hilbert space splits into sectors labeled by the string winding, $w$, that contain purely left-moving (for $w>0$) and right-moving (for $w<0$) excitations. These sectors exhibit infinite-dimensional left and right-moving symmetry algebras, respectively, with central extensions that depend on $w$. String interactions between left and right-movers appear to lead to a $T\bar T$ deformation of the free theory.