Mass generation from tachyon condensation for vector fields on D-branes

The level truncation approach to string field theory is used to study the zero-momentum action for vector excitations on a bosonic D-brane which has been annihilated by tachyon condensation. It is shown that in the true vacuum the translation zero modes associated with transverse scalars on the D-brane are lifted by spontaneous generation of mass terms. Similarly, the U(1) gauge field on the brane develops a nonzero mass term.