The Dirac-Ramond operator on loops in flat space (Q1869041)

Immerse the space \({\mathcal L}_0(\mathbb{R}^d)\) of mean zero smooth loops in \(\mathbb{R}^d\) into \(H:= L^2(S^1,\mathbb{R}^d)= \bigoplus_{n\geq 1} H_n\), the loops in \(H_n\) having freequency \(n\). In the case \(d=1\), \(H_n\) is identified with \(\mathbb{C}\) by \(z_n= x_1+ iy_n\leftrightarrow x_n\cos(nt)+ y_n\sin(nt)\), and the partial Dirac-Ramond operator \(D_n\) acts on \({\mathcal S}(H_n,\mathbb{C}^2)\) by \[ D_n\equiv \begin{pmatrix} 0 & D^-_n\\ D^+_n & 0\end{pmatrix}\equiv \begin{pmatrix} 0 & i(2\partial_{z_n}- n\overline z_n\\ i(2\partial_{\overline z_n}+ nz_n) & 0\end{pmatrix}. \] \(D_n\) is shown to be essentially selfadjoint. Then the space \({\mathcal H}\) of \(L^2\)-sections of the spinor bundle over \({\mathcal L}_0(\mathbb{R}^d)\) is realized as some infinite tensor product, taking the canonical anticommutation relations into account, and the full Dirac-Ramond operator \(D\) is densely defined on \({\mathcal H}\) by means of some twisted quantization, based on the operators \(D_n\) and parity operators \(V_n\equiv\left(\begin{smallmatrix} 1 & 0\\ 0 &-1\end{smallmatrix}\right)\). \(D\) is shown to be essentially selfadjoint. Finally the \(S^1\)-equivariant \(L^2\)-index of \(D\) on \({\mathcal L}_0(\mathbb{R}^d)\) is calculated.