k-Anomalies and Space-Time Supersymmetry in the Green-Schwarz Heterotic Superstring

Abstract

The computation of $\kappa$-anomalies in the Green-Schwarz heterotic superstring sigma-model and the corresponding Wess-Zumino consistency condition constitute a powerful alternative approach for the derivation of manifestly supersymmetric string effective actions. With respect to the beta-function approach this technique presents the advantage that a result which is obtained with the computation of beta-functions at $n$ loops can be obtained through the calculation of $\kappa$-anomalies at \hbox{$n-1$} loops. In this paper we derive by a direct one-loop perturbative computation the $\kappa$-anomaly associated to the Yang-Mills Chern-Simons threeform and, for the first time, the one associated to the Lorentz Chern-Simons threeform. Contrary to what is often stated in the literature we show that the Lorentz $\kappa$-anomaly gets contributions from the integration over both the fermionic {\it and\/} bosonic degrees of freedom of the string. A careful analysis of the absolute coefficients of all these anomalies reveals that they can be absorbed by setting $dH={\alpha'\over4}(\trace F^2-\trace R^2)$, where $\alpha'$ is the string tension, the expected result. We show that this relation ensures also the absence of gauge and Lorentz anomalies in the sigma-model effective action. We evidenciate the presence of infrared divergences.