STRING WINDING MODES FROM CHARGE NONCONSERVATION IN COMPACT CHERN-SIMONS THEORY

In this letter we show how string winding modes can be constructed usi ng topological membranes. We use the fact that monopole-instantons in compact topologically massive gauge theory lead to charge non-conserva tion inside the membrane which, in turn, enables us to construct strin g vertex operators with different left and right momenta. The amount o f charge non-conservation inside the membrane is interpreted as giving the momentum associated with the string winding mode and is shown to match precisely the full mass spectrum of compactified string theory. We also argue that if heterotic strings are described by topological m embranes, then all space-time dimensions must be compact.