This document provides an overview of string theory concepts. It discusses that string theory describes strings moving through spacetime using the Nambu-Goto and Polyakov actions. The oscillations of strings take on vibrational modes that determine the string's mass, spin, and charge. Different excitation modes make strings appear as fundamental particles like electrons and photons. String theory posits that all particles are vibrational modes of tiny fundamental strings at the Planck scale.

1. String Theory Basic Properties

2. There are two actions used to describe how the strings move through space and time. They predict where the strings are located on the world sheet which describes the embedding of the string in spacetime. Nambu-Goto Polyakov The Nambu-Goto action is used for 1 x 1 dimensional flat targets The Nambu-Goto action is not the primary action that physicists use when they develop quantized versions of string theory. The Polyakov action is more easily quantized than the Nambu-Goto action because it is linear and it is therefore used more often.

3. Characteristics of the strings The strings oscillate because of tension and kinetic energy The quantum mechanics of strings states that these oscillations take on vibrational modes. These modes behave differently from particles. The String’s mass, spin, and charge is determined by the string’s dynamics.

4. Characteristics of the strings In a guitar string, the different notes that sound when the string is plucked are a result of the properties of the string: tension, length, thickness. The notes coming out of the guitar are excitation modes of the string. The particles that are observed in particle accelerators can be thought of as musical notes, or excitations modes of strings. Different excitation modes make the strings appear as electrons, photons, and so on. Strings have a miniscule length that is known as the Planck length. The Planck length is about 10-33 centimeters

5. Levels of magnification:1. Macroscopic level - Matter2. Molecular level3. Atomic level - Protons, neutrons, and electrons4. Subatomic level - Electron5. Subatomic level - Quarks6. String level