Large N Field Theory of N=2 Strings and Self-Dual Gravity

Abstract

We review some aspects of the construction of self-dual gravity and the associated field theory of ${\cal N}=2$ strings in terms of two-dimensional sigma models at large $N$. The theory is defined through a large $N$ Wess-Zumino-Witten model in a nontrivial background and in a particular double scaling limit. We examine the canonical structure of the theory and describe an infinite-dimensional Poisson algebra of currents.