BRST ghost-vertex operator in Witten's cubic open string field theory on multiple Dp-branes

Abstract

The Becchi–Rouet–Stora–Tyutin (BRST) ghost field is a key element in constructing Witten's cubic open string field theory. However, to date, the ghost sector of the string field theory has not received a great deal of attention. In this study, we address the BRST ghost on multiple Dp-branes, which carries non-Abelian indices and couples to a non-Abelian gauge field. We found that the massless components of the BRST ghost field can play the role of the Faddeev–Popov ghost in the non-Abelian gauge field, such that the string field theory maintains the local non-Abelian gauge invariance.