Abstract :
Recently we have shown that a phase transition occurs in the leading approximation of the large-N limit in rigid strings coupled to long range Kalb-Ramond interactions. The disordered phase is essentially the Nambu-Goto-Polyakov string theory while the ordered phase is a new theory. In this letter (Paper I) we study the first sub-leading quantum corrections of the free rigid string and derive the renormalization group equation. We show that the theory is asymptotically free, thus the extrinsic curvature of the string drops out at large distance scales in the disordered phase. In the following letter (Paper II [Phys. Lett. B 351 (1995), next article) we generalize the results of this letter to the interacting theory of rigid strings with the long range Kalb-Ramond interactions. We derive the renormalized mass gap equation and obtain the renormalized critical line. Our main and final result is that the phase transition does indeed survive quantum fluctuations.
