Trimming the Tachyon String Field with SU(1,1)

A discrete symmetry of the string field tachyon condensate noted by Hata and Shinohara is identified as a discrete subgroup of an SU(1,1) symmetry acting on the ghost coordinates. This symmetry, known from early studies of free gauge invariant string field actions, extends to off-shell interactions only for very restricted kinds of string vertices, among them the associative vertex of cubic string field theory. It follows that the string field relevant for tachyon condensation can be trimmed down to SU(1,1) singlets.