We investigate classical strings defined by the Nambu-Goto action with the boundary term added. We demonstrate that the latter term has a significant bearing on the string dynamics. It is confirmed that new action terms that depend on higher order derivatives of string coordinates cannot be considered as continuous perturbations from the starting string functional. In the case when the boundary term reduces to the Gauss-Bonnet term, a stability analysis is performed on the rotating rigid string solution. We determine the most generic solution that the fluctuations grow to. Longitudinal string excitations are found. The Regge trajectories are nonlinear.

• Received 31 August 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.51.2891