Plane-wave string mode frequency (${\omega }_n=\sqrt{(2\pi n/L{)}^2+m^2{\kappa }^2}$)

For a closed string in a string sigma model in an isotropic plane wave, insert $e^{-i{\omega }_n\tau +2\pi in\sigma /L}$ into the transverse wave equation. Periodicity requires integer $n$, giving the displayed dispersion relation. The zero spatial mode is an oscillator of frequency $|m\kappa |$; when this mass vanishes it becomes a free particle mode and needs the position-plus-linear-time expansion.