Aspects of Fractional Superstrings (original) (raw)

We investigate some issues relating to recently proposed fractional superstring theories with D_ critical<10. Using the factorization approach of Gepner and Qiu, we systematically rederive the partition functions of the K=4, 8, and 16 theories and examine their spacetime supersymmetry. Generalized GSO projection operators for the K=4 model are found. Uniqueness of the twist field, ϕ^K/4_K/4, as source of spacetime fermions is demonstrated. Last, we derive a linear (rather than quadratic) relationship between the required conformal anomaly and the conformal dimension of the supercurrent ghost.