WorldWideScience

Sample records for coupled string theory

  1. Chern-Simons couplings for dielectric F-strings in matrix string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brecher, Dominic; Janssen, Bert; Lozano, Yolanda

    2002-01-01

    We compute the non-abelian couplings in the Chern-Simons action for a set of coinciding fundamental strings in both the type IIA and type IIB Matrix string theories. Starting from Matrix theory in a weakly curved background, we construct the linear couplings of closed string fields to type IIA Matrix strings. Further dualities give a type IIB Matrix string theory and a type IIA theory of Matrix strings with winding. (Abstract Copyright[2002], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  2. String-coupling constant and dilaton vacuum expectation value in string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoneya, Tamiaki

    1987-01-01

    In the first quantized approaches to strings, it is well known that the string-coupling constant is determined by the vacuum expectation value of the dilaton field. This property, however, has never been demonstrated within the framework of string field theory. An explicit reparametrization of the string field associated with the shifts of the dilaton vacuum expectation value and the string-coupling constant is constructed exhibiting the above property in the light-cone field theory of the closed bosonic string. (orig.)

  3. Strong/weak coupling duality relations for non-supersymmetric string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blum, J.D.; Dienes, K.R.

    1998-01-01

    Both the supersymmetric SO(32) and E 8 x E 8 heterotic strings in ten dimensions have known strong-coupling duals. However, it has not been known whether there also exist strong-coupling duals for the non-supersymmetric heterotic strings in ten dimensions. In this paper, we construct explicit open-string duals for the circle compactifications of several of these non-supersymmetric theories, among them the tachyon-free SO(16) x SO(16) string. Our method involves the construction of heterotic and open-string interpolating models that continuously connect non-supersymmetric strings to supersymmetric strings. We find that our non-supersymmetric dual theories have exactly the same massless spectra as their heterotic counterparts within a certain range of our interpolations. We also develop a novel method for analyzing the solitons of non-supersymmetric open-string theories, and find that the solitons of our dual theories also agree with their heterotic counterparts. These are therefore the first known examples of strong/weak coupling duality relations between non-supersymmetric, tachyon-free string theories. Finally, the existence of these strong-coupling duals allows us to examine the non-perturbative stability of these strings, and we propose a phase diagram for the behavior of these strings as a function of coupling and radius. (orig.)

  4. Nonrelativistic closed string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gomis, Jaume; Ooguri, Hirosi

    2001-01-01

    We construct a Galilean invariant nongravitational closed string theory whose excitations satisfy a nonrelativistic dispersion relation. This theory can be obtained by taking a consistent low energy limit of any of the conventional string theories, including the heterotic string. We give a finite first order worldsheet Hamiltonian for this theory and show that this string theory has a sensible perturbative expansion, interesting high energy behavior of scattering amplitudes and a Hagedorn transition of the thermal ensemble. The strong coupling duals of the Galilean superstring theories are considered and are shown to be described by an eleven-dimensional Galilean invariant theory of light membrane fluctuations. A new class of Galilean invariant nongravitational theories of light-brane excitations are obtained. We exhibit dual formulations of the strong coupling limits of these Galilean invariant theories and show that they exhibit many of the conventional dualities of M theory in a nonrelativistic setting

  5. Closed string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strominger, A.

    1987-01-01

    A gauge invariant cubic action describing bosonic closed string field theory is constructed. The gauge symmetries include local spacetime diffeomorphisms. The conventional closed string spectrum and trilinear couplings are reproduced after spontaneous symmetry breaking. The action S is constructed from the usual ''open string'' field of ghost number minus one half. It is given by the associator of the string field product which is non-vanishing because of associativity anomalies. S does not describe open string propagation because open string states associate and can thereby be shifted away. A field theory of closed and open strings can be obtained by adding to S the cubic open string action. (orig.)

  6. 2-Dim. gravity and string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Narain, K.S.

    1991-01-01

    The role of 2-dim. gravity in string theory is discussed. In particular d=25 string theory coupled to 2-d. gravity is described and shown to give rise to the physics of the usual 26-dim. string theory (where one does not quantise 2-d. gravity. (orig.)

  7. Oriented open-closed string theory revisited

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zwiebach, B.

    1998-01-01

    String theory on D-brane backgrounds is open-closed string theory. Given the relevance of this fact, we give details and elaborate upon our earlier construction of oriented open-closed string field theory. In order to incorporate explicitly closed strings, the classical sector of this theory is open strings with a homotopy associative A ∞ algebraic structure. We build a suitable Batalin-Vilkovisky algebra on moduli spaces of bordered Ricmann surfaces, the construction of which involves a few subtleties arising from the open string punctures and cyclicity conditions. All vertices coupling open and closed strings through disks are described explicitly. Subalgebras of the algebra of surfaces with boundaries are used to discuss symmetries of classical open string theory induced by the closed string sector, and to write classical open string field theory on general closed string backgrounds. We give a preliminary analysis of the ghost-dilaton theorem. copyright 1998 Academic Press, Inc

  8. Deformation of the cubic open string field theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Taejin, E-mail: taejin@kangwon.ac.kr

    2017-05-10

    We study a consistent deformation of the cubic open bosonic string theory in such a way that the non-planar world sheet diagrams of the perturbative string theory are mapped onto their equivalent planar diagrams of the light-cone string field theory with some length parameters fixed. An explicit evaluation of the cubic string vertex in the zero-slope limit yields the correct relationship between the string coupling constant and the Yang–Mills coupling constant. The deformed cubic open string field theory is shown to produce the non-Abelian Yang–Mills action in the zero-slope limit if it is defined on multiple D-branes. Applying the consistent deformation systematically to multi-string world sheet diagrams, we may be able to calculate scattering amplitudes with an arbitrary number of external open strings.

  9. Deformation of the cubic open string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Taejin

    2017-01-01

    We study a consistent deformation of the cubic open bosonic string theory in such a way that the non-planar world sheet diagrams of the perturbative string theory are mapped onto their equivalent planar diagrams of the light-cone string field theory with some length parameters fixed. An explicit evaluation of the cubic string vertex in the zero-slope limit yields the correct relationship between the string coupling constant and the Yang–Mills coupling constant. The deformed cubic open string field theory is shown to produce the non-Abelian Yang–Mills action in the zero-slope limit if it is defined on multiple D-branes. Applying the consistent deformation systematically to multi-string world sheet diagrams, we may be able to calculate scattering amplitudes with an arbitrary number of external open strings.

  10. Deformation of the cubic open string field theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taejin Lee

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available We study a consistent deformation of the cubic open bosonic string theory in such a way that the non-planar world sheet diagrams of the perturbative string theory are mapped onto their equivalent planar diagrams of the light-cone string field theory with some length parameters fixed. An explicit evaluation of the cubic string vertex in the zero-slope limit yields the correct relationship between the string coupling constant and the Yang–Mills coupling constant. The deformed cubic open string field theory is shown to produce the non-Abelian Yang–Mills action in the zero-slope limit if it is defined on multiple D-branes. Applying the consistent deformation systematically to multi-string world sheet diagrams, we may be able to calculate scattering amplitudes with an arbitrary number of external open strings.

  11. Aspects of some dualities in string theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Bom Soo

    AdS/CFT correspondence in string theory has changed landscape of the theoretical physics. Through this celebrated duality between gravity theory and field theory, one can investigate analytically strongly coupled gauge theories such as Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) in terms of weakly coupled string theory such as supergravity theory and vice versa. In the first part of this thesis we used this duality to construct a new type of nonlocal field theory, called Puff Field Theory, in terms of D3 branes in type IIB string theory with a geometric twist. In addition to the strong-weak duality of AdS/CFT, there also exists a weak-weak duality, called Twistor String Theory. Twistor technique is successfully used to calculate the SYM scattering amplitude in an elegant fashion. Yet, the progress in the string theory side was hindered by a non-unitary conformal gravity. We extend the Twistor string theory by introducing mass terms, in the second part of the thesis. A chiral mass term is identified as a vacuum expectation value of a conformal supergravity field and is tied with the breaking of the conformal symmetry of gravity. As a prime candidate for a quantum theory of gravity, string theory revealed many promising successes such as counting the number of microstates in supersymmetric Black Holes thermodynamics and resolution of timelike and null singularities, to name a few. Yet, the fundamental string and M-theroy formulations are not yet available. Various string theories without gravity, such as Non-Commutative Open String (NCOS) and Open Membrane (OM) theories, are very nice playground to investigate the fundamental structure of string and M-theory without the complication of gravity. In the last part of the thesis, simpler Non-Relativistic String Theories are constructed and investigated. One important motivation for those theories is related to the connection between Non-Relativistic String Theories and Non-critical String Theories through the bosonization of betagamma

  12. Classical theory of radiating strings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Copeland, Edmund J.; Haws, D.; Hindmarsh, M.

    1990-01-01

    The divergent part of the self force of a radiating string coupled to gravity, an antisymmetric tensor and a dilaton in four dimensions are calculated to first order in classical perturbation theory. While this divergence can be absorbed into a renormalization of the string tension, demanding that both it and the divergence in the energy momentum tensor vanish forces the string to have the couplings of compactified N = 1 D = 10 supergravity. In effect, supersymmetry cures the classical infinities.

  13. Gauge theories as string theories: the first results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorsky, Aleksandr S

    2005-01-01

    The gauge/string theory duality in curved space is discussed mainly using a non-Abelian conformal N = 4 supersymmetric gauge theory and the theory of a closed superstring in the AdS 5 x S 5 metric as an example. It is shown that in the supergravity approximation, string duality yields the characteristics of a strong-coupling gauge theory. For a special shape of the contour, a Wilson loop expression is derived in the classical superstring approximation. The role of the hidden integrability in lower-loop calculations in gauge theory and in different approximations of string theory is discussed. It is demonstrated that in the large quantum-number limit, gauge theory operators can be described in terms of the dual string picture. Examples of metrics providing the dual description of gauge theories with broken conformal symmetry are presented, and formulations of the vacuum structure of such theories in terms of gravity are discussed. (reviews of topical problems)

  14. Warped models in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Acharya, B.S.; Benini, F.; Valandro, R.

    2006-12-01

    Warped models, originating with the ideas of Randall and Sundrum, provide a fascinating extension of the standard model with interesting consequences for the LHC. We investigate in detail how string theory realises such models, with emphasis on fermion localisation and the computation of Yukawa couplings. We find, in contrast to the 5d models, that fermions can be localised anywhere in the extra dimension, and that there are new mechanisms to generate exponential hierarchies amongst the Yukawa couplings. We also suggest a way to distinguish these string theory models with data from the LHC. (author)

  15. Little String Theory at a TeV

    CERN Document Server

    Antoniadis, Ignatios; Giveon, Amit; Antoniadis, Ignatios; Dimopoulos, Savas; Giveon, Amit

    2001-01-01

    We propose a framework where the string scale as well as all compact dimensions are at the electroweak scale $\\sim$ TeV$^{-1}$. The weakness of gravity is attributed to the small value of the string coupling $g_s \\sim 10^{-16}$, presumably a remnant of the dilaton's runaway behavior, suggesting the possibility of a common solution to the hierarchy and dilaton-runaway problems. In spite of the small $g_s$, in type II string theories with gauge interactions localized in the vicinity of NS5-branes, the standard model gauge couplings are of order one and are associated with the sizes of compact dimensions. At a TeV these theories exhibit higher dimensional and stringy behavior. The models are holographically dual to a higher dimensional non-critical string theory and this can be used to compute the experimentally accessible spectrum and self-couplings of the little strings. In spite of the stringy behavior, gravity remains weak and can be ignored at collider energies. The Damour-Polyakov mechanism is an automatic...

  16. String theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chan Hongmo.

    1987-10-01

    The paper traces the development of the String Theory, and was presented at Professor Sir Rudolf Peierls' 80sup(th) Birthday Symposium. The String theory is discussed with respect to the interaction of strings, the inclusion of both gauge theory and gravitation, inconsistencies in the theory, and the role of space-time. The physical principles underlying string theory are also outlined. (U.K.)

  17. String Theory and M-Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Katrin; Becker, Melanie; Schwarz, John H.

    String theory is one of the most exciting and challenging areas of modern theoretical physics. This book guides the reader from the basics of string theory to recent developments. It introduces the basics of perturbative string theory, world-sheet supersymmetry, space-time supersymmetry, conformal field theory and the heterotic string, before describing modern developments, including D-branes, string dualities and M-theory. It then covers string geometry and flux compactifications, applications to cosmology and particle physics, black holes in string theory and M-theory, and the microscopic origin of black-hole entropy. It concludes with Matrix theory, the AdS/CFT duality and its generalizations. This book is ideal for graduate students and researchers in modern string theory, and will make an excellent textbook for a one-year course on string theory. It contains over 120 exercises with solutions, and over 200 homework problems with solutions available on a password protected website for lecturers at www.cambridge.org/9780521860697. Comprehensive coverage of topics from basics of string theory to recent developments Ideal textbook for a one-year course in string theory Includes over 100 exercises with solutions Contains over 200 homework problems with solutions available to lecturers on-line

  18. Vacuum degeneracy in four-dimensional string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nilles, H.P.

    1988-01-01

    I present results obtained in collaboration with A. Font, L. Ibanez and F. Quevedo using a method that links explicit string constructions with the techniques of supergravity field theories. We make use of the fact that the supersymmetric vacua of the field theory limit of d=4 N=1 superstring theories are all degenerate. Given a particular string theory we can then test for new 'nearby' string theories by an examination of flat directions in the scalar potential of the underlying field theory. As input from string theory we need the knowledge of the Yukawa couplings (i.e., the superpotential) for any number of fields. In the language of conformal field theory, this amounts to a search for exactly marginal operators and the classification of multicritical points. (orig./HSI)

  19. Equivalence of meson scattering amplitudes in strong coupling lattice and flat space string theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adi Armoni

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available We consider meson scattering in the framework of the lattice strong coupling expansion. In particular we derive an expression for the 4-point function of meson operators in the planar limit of scalar Chromodynamics. Interestingly, in the naive continuum limit the expression coincides with an independently known result, that of the worldline formalism. Moreover, it was argued by Makeenko and Olesen that (assuming confinement the resulting scattering amplitude in momentum space is the celebrated expression proposed by Veneziano several decades ago. This motivates us to also use holography in order to argue that the continuum expression for the scattering amplitude is related to the result obtained from flat space string theory. Our results hint that at strong coupling and large-Nc the naive continuum limit of the lattice formalism can be related to a flat space string theory.

  20. Equivalence of meson scattering amplitudes in strong coupling lattice and flat space string theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armoni, Adi; Ireson, Edwin; Vadacchino, Davide

    2018-03-01

    We consider meson scattering in the framework of the lattice strong coupling expansion. In particular we derive an expression for the 4-point function of meson operators in the planar limit of scalar Chromodynamics. Interestingly, in the naive continuum limit the expression coincides with an independently known result, that of the worldline formalism. Moreover, it was argued by Makeenko and Olesen that (assuming confinement) the resulting scattering amplitude in momentum space is the celebrated expression proposed by Veneziano several decades ago. This motivates us to also use holography in order to argue that the continuum expression for the scattering amplitude is related to the result obtained from flat space string theory. Our results hint that at strong coupling and large-Nc the naive continuum limit of the lattice formalism can be related to a flat space string theory.

  1. String dynamics at strong coupling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hull, C.M.

    1996-01-01

    The dynamics of superstring, supergravity and M-theories and their compactifications are probed by studying the various perturbation theories that emerge in the strong and weak-coupling limits for various directions in coupling constant space. The results support the picture of an underlying non-perturbative theory that, when expanded perturbatively in different coupling constants, gives different perturbation theories, which can be perturbative superstring theories or superparticle theories. The p-brane spectrum is considered in detail and a criterion found to establish which p-branes govern the strong-coupling dynamics. In many cases there are competing conjectures in the literature, and this analysis decides between them. In other cases, new results are found. The chiral 6-dimensional theory resulting from compactifying the type IIB string on K 3 is studied in detail and it is found that certain strong-coupling limits appear to give new theories, some of which hint at the possibility of a 12-dimensional origin. (orig.)

  2. String perturbation theory diverges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gross, D.J.; Periwal, V.

    1988-01-01

    We prove that perturbation theory for the bosonic string diverges for arbitrary values of the coupling constant and is not Borel summable. This divergence is independent of the existence of the infinities that occur in the theory due to the presence of tachyons and dilaton tadpoles. We discuss the physical implications of such a divergence

  3. String field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaku, M.

    1987-01-01

    In this article, the authors summarize the rapid progress in constructing string field theory actions, such as the development of the covariant BRST theory. They also present the newer geometric formulation of string field theory, from which the BRST theory and the older light cone theory can be derived from first principles. This geometric formulation allows us to derive the complete field theory of strings from two geometric principles, in the same way that general relativity and Yang-Mills theory can be derived from two principles based on global and local symmetry. The geometric formalism therefore reduces string field theory to a problem of finding an invariant under a new local gauge group they call the universal string group (USG). Thus, string field theory is the gauge theory of the universal string group in much the same way that Yang-Mills theory is the gauge theory of SU(N). The geometric formulation places superstring theory on the same rigorous group theoretical level as general relativity and gauge theory

  4. Multiple-Trace Operators and Non-Local String Theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silverstein, Eva M.

    2001-01-01

    We propose that a novel deformation of string perturbation theory, involving non-local interactions between strings, is required to describe the gravity duals of field theories deformed by multiple-trace operators. The new perturbative expansion involves a new parameter, which is neither the string coupling nor the coefficient of a vertex operator on the worldsheet. We explore some of the properties of this deformation, focusing on a special case where the deformation in the field theory is exactly marginal

  5. Big bang and big crunch in matrix string theory

    OpenAIRE

    Bedford, J; Papageorgakis, C; Rodríguez-Gómez, D; Ward, J

    2007-01-01

    Following the holographic description of linear dilaton null Cosmologies with a Big Bang in terms of Matrix String Theory put forward by Craps, Sethi and Verlinde, we propose an extended background describing a Universe including both Big Bang and Big Crunch singularities. This belongs to a class of exact string backgrounds and is perturbative in the string coupling far away from the singularities, both of which can be resolved using Matrix String Theory. We provide a simple theory capable of...

  6. Conformal techniques in string theory and string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giddings, S.B.

    1987-01-01

    The application of some conformal and Riemann surface techniques to string theory and string field theory is described. First a brief review of Riemann surface techniques and of the Polyakov approach to string theory is presented. This is followed by a discussion of some features of string field theory and of its Feynman rules. Specifically, it is shown that the Feynman diagrams for Witten's string field theory respect modular invariance, and in particular give a triangulation of moduli space. The Polyakov formalism is then used to derive the Feynman rules that should follow from this theory upon gauge-fixing. It should also be possible to apply this derivation to deduce the Feynman rules for other gauge-fixed string field theories. Following this, Riemann surface techniques are turned to the problem of proving the equivalence of the Polyakov and light-cone formalisms. It is first shown that the light-cone diagrams triangulate moduli space. Then the Polyakov measure is worked out for these diagrams, and shown to equal that deduced from the light-cone gauge fixed formalism. Also presented is a short description of the comparison of physical states in the two formalisms. The equivalence of the two formalisms in particular constitutes a proof of the unitarity of the Polyakov framework for the closed bosonic string

  7. Solution of the dilaton problem in open bosonic string theories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bern, Z. (Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)); Dunbar, D.C. (Liverpool Univ. (United Kingdom))

    1991-01-01

    One of the most remarkable features of string theories is that they seem to provide a framework for a consistent theory of quantum gravity which is unified with all other forces. String theories fall into the two basic, a priori equally interesting, categories of open and closed string theories. For the past five years virtually all attention has been focused on purely closed string theories even though the reincarnation of string theory began with the discovery of anomaly cancellation and finiteness in the Green-Schwarz open superstring. It is the authors' purpose in this essay to rekindle interest in open string theories as potential theories of nature, including gravity. All string theories naively contain a massless dilaton which couples with the strength of gravity in direct violation of experiment. They present a simple mechanism for giving the dilaton a mass in unoriented open bosonic string theories.

  8. Solution of the dilaton problem in open bosonic string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bern, Z.; Dunbar, D.C.

    1991-01-01

    One of the most remarkable features of string theories is that they seem to provide a framework for a consistent theory of quantum gravity which is unified with all other forces. String theories fall into the two basic, a priori equally interesting, categories of open and closed string theories. For the past five years virtually all attention has been focused on purely closed string theories even though the reincarnation of string theory began with the discovery of anomaly cancellation and finiteness in the Green-Schwarz open superstring. It is the authors' purpose in this essay to rekindle interest in open string theories as potential theories of nature, including gravity. All string theories naively contain a massless dilaton which couples with the strength of gravity in direct violation of experiment. They present a simple mechanism for giving the dilaton a mass in unoriented open bosonic string theories

  9. 1/4 BPS States and Non-Perturbative Couplings in N=4 String Theories

    CERN Document Server

    Lerche, W.

    1999-01-01

    We compute certain 2K+4-point one-loop couplings in the type IIA string compactified on K3 x T^2, which are related a topological index on this manifold. Their special feature is that they are sensitive to only short and intermediate BPS multiplets. The couplings derive from underlying prepotentials of the form G(T,U)=d^{2K}V ln[chi10(T,U,V)], where chi10(T,U,V) is the helicity partition function of 1/4 BPS states. In the dual heterotic string on T^6, the amplitudes describe non-perturbative gravitational corrections due to bound states of fivebrane instantons with heterotic world-sheet instantons. We argue, as a consequence, that our results give information about instanton configurations in six dimensional Sp(2k) gauge theories on T^6.

  10. String field theory-inspired algebraic structures in gauge theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeitlin, Anton M.

    2009-01-01

    We consider gauge theories in a string field theory-inspired formalism. The constructed algebraic operations lead, in particular, to homotopy algebras of the related Batalin-Vilkovisky theories. We discuss an invariant description of the gauge fixing procedure and special algebraic features of gauge theories coupled to matter fields.

  11. Field theory and strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonara, L.; Cotta-Ramusino, P.; Rinaldi, M.

    1987-01-01

    It is well-known that type I and heterotic superstring theories have a zero mass spectrum which correspond to the field content of N=1 supergravity theory coupled to supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory in 10-D. The authors study the field theory ''per se'', in the hope that simple consistency requirements will determine the theory completely once one knows the field content inherited from string theory. The simplest consistency requirements are: N=1 supersymmetry; and absence of chiral anomalies. This is what the authors discuss in this paper here leaving undetermined the question of the range of validity of the resulting field theory. As is known, a model of N=1 supergravity (SUGRA) coupled to supersymmetric Yang-Mills (SYM) theory was known in the form given by Chapline and Manton. The coupling of SUGRA to SYM was determined by the definition of the ''field strength'' 3-form H in this paper

  12. Big bang and big crunch in matrix string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bedford, J.; Ward, J.; Papageorgakis, C.; Rodriguez-Gomez, D.

    2007-01-01

    Following the holographic description of linear dilaton null cosmologies with a big bang in terms of matrix string theory put forward by Craps, Sethi, and Verlinde, we propose an extended background describing a universe including both big bang and big crunch singularities. This belongs to a class of exact string backgrounds and is perturbative in the string coupling far away from the singularities, both of which can be resolved using matrix string theory. We provide a simple theory capable of describing the complete evolution of this closed universe

  13. Why string theory?

    CERN Document Server

    Conlon, Joseph

    2016-01-01

    Is string theory a fraud or one of the great scientific advances? Why do so many physicists work on string theory if it cannot be tested? This book provides insight into why such a theory, with little direct experimental support, plays such a prominent role in theoretical physics. The book gives a modern and accurate account of string theory and science, explaining what string theory is, why it is regarded as so promising, and why it is hard to test.

  14. Nuclear force from string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hashimoto, Koji; Sakai, Tadakatsu; Sugimoto, Shigeki

    2009-01-01

    We compute the nuclear force in a holographic model of QCD on the basis of a D4-D8 brane configuration in type IIA string theory. The repulsive core of nucleons is important in nuclear physics, but its origin has not been well understood in strongly coupled QCD. We find that the string theory via gauge/string duality deduces this repulsive core at a short distance between nucleons. Since baryons in the model are realized as solitons given by Yang-Mills instanton configuration on flavor D8-branes, ADHM construction of two instantons probes well the nucleon interaction at short scale, which provides the nuclear force quantitatively. We obtain a central force, as well as a tensor force, which is strongly repulsive as suggested in experiments and lattice results. In particular, the nucleon-nucleon potential V(r) (as a function of the distance) scales as r -2 , which is peculiar to the holographic model. We compare our results with the one-boson exchange model using the nucleon-nucleon-meson coupling obtained in our previous paper. (author)

  15. Wilson loops in 3-dimensional N = 6 supersymmetric Chern-Simons theory and their string theory duals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drukker, Nadav; Plefka, Jan; Young, Donovan

    2008-01-01

    We study Wilson loops in the three-dimensional N = 6 supersymmetric Chern-Simons theory recently constructed by Aharony, Bergman, Jafferis and Maldacena, that is conjectured to be dual to type IIA string theory on AdS 4 x CP 3 . We construct loop operators in the Chern-Simons theory which preserve 1/6 of the supercharges and calculate their expectation value up to 2-loop order at weak coupling. The expectation value at strong coupling is found by constructing the string theory duals of these operators. For low dimensional representations these are fundamental strings, for high dimensional representations these are D2-branes and D6-branes. In support of this identification we demonstrate that these string theory solutions match the symmetries, charges and the preserved supersymmetries of their Chern-Simons theory counterparts.

  16. Generalized string theory mapping relations between gravity and gauge theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bjerrum-Bohr, N.E.J.

    2003-01-01

    A previous study of the Kawai, Lewellen and Tye (KLT) relations between gravity and gauge theories, imposed by the relationship of closed and open strings, are here extended in the light of general relativity and Yang-Mills theory as effective field theories. We discuss the possibility of generalizing the traditional KLT mapping in this effective setting. A generalized mapping between the effective Lagrangians of gravity and Yang-Mills theory is presented, and the corresponding operator relations between gauge and gravity theories at the tree level are further explored. From this generalized mapping remarkable diagrammatic relations are found, linking diagrams in gravity and Yang-Mills theory, as well as diagrams in pure effective Yang-Mills theory. Also the possibility of a gravitational coupling to an antisymmetric field in the gravity scattering amplitude is considered, and shown to allow for mixed open-closed string solutions, i.e., closed heterotic strings

  17. String theory or field theory?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marshakov, Andrei V

    2002-01-01

    The status of string theory is reviewed, and major recent developments - especially those in going beyond perturbation theory in the string theory and quantum field theory frameworks - are analyzed. This analysis helps better understand the role and place of string theory in the modern picture of the physical world. Even though quantum field theory describes a wide range of experimental phenomena, it is emphasized that there are some insurmountable problems inherent in it - notably the impossibility to formulate the quantum theory of gravity on its basis - which prevent it from being a fundamental physical theory of the world of microscopic distances. It is this task, the creation of such a theory, which string theory, currently far from completion, is expected to solve. In spite of its somewhat vague current form, string theory has already led to a number of serious results and greatly contributed to progress in the understanding of quantum field theory. It is these developments which are our concern in this review. (reviews of topical problems)

  18. Does string theory lead to extended inflation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Bruce A.; Linde, Andrei; Olive, Keith A.

    1991-05-01

    We consider the relationship between string theory and currently proposed models of extended inflation. In doing so, we discuss the conformal actions in string theory and in Jordan-Brans-Dicke gravity. We show explicitly the equivalence of pictures in which either gauge or gravitational couplings are changing with time. We demonstrate that the existence of the dilation in string theory does not naturally lead to extended inflation as currently discussed. We also discuss the resolution of the graceful exit problem of old inflation in Einstein gravity using either power-law inflation, or exponential inflation with a changing bubble formation rate. On leave of absence from School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.

  19. String theory of Calabi-Yau compactifications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luetken, C.A.

    1989-01-01

    The conformal field theory description of Calabi-Yau compactifications of the heterotic superstring from 10 to 4 dimensions is outlined. The basic ideas of ordinary (bosonic) conformal field theory are explained before describing the exactly solvable N=2 superconformal minimal models which are needed in the tensor construction of certain particularly simple string vacua. Using a simple sigma-model construction of algebraic varieties and drawing on insight gained from the Landau-Ginzburg description of critical phenomena, it is explained how the critical behaviour of these 2-dimensional solvable quantum field theories with complex supersymmetry may be regarded as string compactification on a Calabi-Yau background. The virtue of this is to provide a tool for computing exact (tree level) results for strings in these highly non-trivial vacua, including all the Yukawa couplings needed in the construction of the low-energy effective field theory. (orig.)

  20. Introduction to string theory and string compactifications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    GarcIa-Compean, Hugo

    2005-01-01

    Basics of some topics on perturbative and non-perturbative string theory are reviewed. After a mathematical survey of the Standard Model of particle physics and GUTs, the bosonic string kinematics for the free case and with interaction is described. The effective action of the bosonic string and the spectrum is also discussed. T-duality in closed and open strings and the definition of D-brane are surveyed. Five perturbative superstring theories and their spectra is briefly outlined. Calabi-Yau three-fold compactifications of heterotic strings and their relation to some four-dimensional physics are given. Finally, non-perturbative issues like S-duality, M-theory and F-theory are also reviewed

  1. Spin chain and duality between string theory and gauge theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorskij, A.S.

    2005-01-01

    One discusses a string pattern hidden by the integrable spin chains describing the evolution equations in the Yang- Mills theory. It is shown that the single-loop correction to the dilatation operator in N = 4 theory may be expressed in terms of two-point correlation functions at two-dimensional world surface of a string. Correspondence between the Neumann integrable systems and the spin chains leads us to believe that passing to the finite values of the coupling constants in the gauge theory corresponds to the quantization of the world surface. The model of string bits for the digitized world surface is assumed to be in line with representation of the integrable spin chains in terms of the separable variables [ru

  2. A nonperturbative solution of D=1 string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gross, D.J.; Miljkovic, N.

    1990-01-01

    We derive a nonperturbative solution of D=1 string theory, based on a double scaling limit of the one dimensional random matrix model. We derive an exact expression for the partition function in terms of the string coupling constant. The weak coupling expansion suffers from infrared divergences, which we attribute to massless tadpoles. The continuum limit seems to be well defined, however, in a strong coupling expansion. This could correspond to a different stable nonperturbative vacuum. (orig.)

  3. String theory or field theory?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marshakov, A.V.

    2002-01-01

    The status of string theory is reviewed, and major recent developments - especially those in going beyond perturbation theory in the string theory and quantum field theory frameworks - are analyzed. This analysis helps better understand the role and place of experimental phenomena, it is emphasized that there are some insurmountable problems inherent in it - notably the impossibility to formulate the quantum theory of gravity on its basis - which prevent it from being a fundamental physical theory of the world of microscopic distances. It is this task, the creation of such a theory, which string theory, currently far from completion, is expected to solve. In spite of its somewhat vague current form, string theory has already led to a number of serious results and greatly contributed to progress in the understanding of quantum field theory. It is these developments, which are our concern in this review [ru

  4. Minimal string theory is logarithmic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishimoto, Yukitaka; Yamaguchi, Shun-ichi

    2005-01-01

    We study the simplest examples of minimal string theory whose worldsheet description is the unitary (p,q) minimal model coupled to two-dimensional gravity ( Liouville field theory). In the Liouville sector, we show that four-point correlation functions of 'tachyons' exhibit logarithmic singularities, and that the theory turns out to be logarithmic. The relation with Zamolodchikov's logarithmic degenerate fields is also discussed. Our result holds for generic values of (p,q)

  5. A novel string field theory solving string theory by liberating left and right movers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nielsen, Holger B.; Ninomiya, Masao

    2014-01-01

    We put forward ideas to a novel string field theory based on making some “objects” that essentially describe “liberated” left- and right- mover fields X L μ (τ+σ) and X R μ (τ−σ) on the string. Our novel string field theory is completely definitely different from any other string theory in as far as a “null set” of information in the string field theory Fock space has been removed relatively, to the usual string field theories. So our theory is definitely new. The main progress is that we manage to make our novel string field theory provide the correct mass square spectrum for the string. We finally suggest how to obtain the Veneziano amplitude in our model

  6. Two-matrix models and c =1 string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonora, L.; Xiong Chuansheng

    1994-05-01

    We show that the most general two-matrix model with bilinear coupling underlies c = 1 string theory. More precisely we prove that W 1+∞ constraints, a subset of the correlation functions and the integrable hierarchy characterizing such two-matrix model, correspond exactly to the W 1+∞ constraints, to the discrete tachyon correlation functions and the integrable hierarchy of the c = 1 string theory. (orig.)

  7. The effective supergravity of little string theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antoniadis, Ignatios; Delgado, Antonio; Markou, Chrysoula; Pokorski, Stefan

    2018-02-01

    In this work we present the minimal supersymmetric extension of the five-dimensional dilaton-gravity theory that captures the main properties of the holographic dual of little string theory. It is described by a particular gauging of N=2 supergravity coupled with one vector multiplet associated with the string dilaton, along the U(1) subgroup of SU(2) R-symmetry. The linear dilaton in the fifth coordinate solution of the equations of motion (with flat string frame metric) breaks half of the supersymmetries to N=1 in four dimensions. Interest in the linear dilaton model has lately been revived in the context of the clockwork mechanism, which has recently been proposed as a new source of exponential scale separation in field theory.

  8. The effective supergravity of little string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Antoniadis, Ignatios [Sorbonne Universite, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique Theorique et Hautes Energies, LPTHE, Paris (France); University of Bern, Albert Einstein Center for Fundamental Physics, Institute for Theoretical Physics, Bern (Switzerland); Delgado, Antonio [University of Notre Dame, Department of Physics, Notre Dame, IN (United States); Markou, Chrysoula [Sorbonne Universite, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique Theorique et Hautes Energies, LPTHE, Paris (France); Pokorski, Stefan [University of Warsaw, Faculty of Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Warsaw (Poland)

    2018-02-15

    In this work we present the minimal supersymmetric extension of the five-dimensional dilaton-gravity theory that captures the main properties of the holographic dual of little string theory. It is described by a particular gauging of N = 2 supergravity coupled with one vector multiplet associated with the string dilaton, along the U(1) subgroup of SU(2) R-symmetry. The linear dilaton in the fifth coordinate solution of the equations of motion (with flat string frame metric) breaks half of the supersymmetries to N = 1 in four dimensions. Interest in the linear dilaton model has lately been revived in the context of the clockwork mechanism, which has recently been proposed as a new source of exponential scale separation in field theory. (orig.)

  9. String Theory in a Nutshell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skenderis, Kostas

    2007-01-01

    The book 'String Theory in a Nutshell' by Elias Kiritsis provides a comprehensive introduction to modern string theory. String theory is the leading candidate for a theory that successfully unifies all fundamental forces of nature, including gravity. The subject has been continuously developing since the early 1970s, with classic textbooks on the subject being those of Green, Schwarz and Witten (1987) and Polchinski (1998). Since the latter was published there have been substantial developments, in particular in understanding black holes and gravity/gauge theory dualities. A textbook treatment of this important material is clearly needed, both by students and researchers in string theory and by mathematicians and physicists working in related fields. This book has a good selection of material, starting from basics and moving into classic and modern topics. In particular, Kiritsis' presentation of the basic material is complementary to that of the earlier textbooks and he includes a number of topics which are not easily found or covered adequately elsewhere, for example, loop corrections to string effective couplings. Overall the book nicely covers the major advances of the last ten years, including (non-perturbative) string dualities, black hole physics, AdS/CFT and matrix models. It provides a concise but fairly complete introduction to these subjects which can be used both by students and by researchers. Moreover the emphasis is on results that are reasonably established, as is appropriate for a textbook; concise summaries are given for subjects which are still in flux, with references to relevant reviews and papers. A positive feature of the book is that the bibliography sections at the end of each chapter provide a comprehensive guide to the literature. The bibliographies point to reviews and pedagogical papers on subjects covered in this book as well as those that were omitted. It is rare for a textbook to contain such a self-contained and detailed guide to

  10. Little string theory from double-scaling limits of field theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ling, Henry; Shieh, H.-H.; Anders, Greg van

    2007-01-01

    We show that little string theory on S 5 can be obtained as double-scaling limits of the maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories on R x S 2 and R x S 3 /Z k . By matching the gauge theory parameters with those in the dual supergravity solutions found by Lin and Maldacena, we determine the limits in the gauge theories that correspond to decoupling of NS5-brane degrees of freedom. We find that for the theory on R x S 2 , the 't Hooft coupling must be scaled like ln 3 N, and on R x S 3 /Z k , like ln 2 N. Accordingly, taking these limits in these field theories gives Lagrangian definitions of little string theory on S 5

  11. On Bianchi-I cosmic strings coupled with Maxwell fields in bimetric ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Axially symmetric Bianchi-I model is studied with source cosmic cloud strings coupled with electromagnetic field in Rosen's bimetric theory of relativity and observed that there is no contribution from cosmic strings and Maxwell fields in this theory.

  12. Coupling of open to closed bosonic strings in four dimensions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bern, Z.; Dunbar, D.C.

    1987-11-01

    We study the construction of D < 26 open bosonic string theories using the fermionic formulation for the internal degrees of freedom. The various models are specified by the boundary conditions of the world sheet fermions on the annulus. Using the fact that open string loops can be transformed into closed string exchanges, we determine possible open string models which may be coupled to known D < 26 closed string models. Finally, as a verification of consistency, we examine particular open string non-planar amplitudes. (orig.)

  13. A simple solvable model of quantum field theory of open strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kazakov, V.A.; AN SSSR, Moscow

    1990-01-01

    A model of quantum field theory of open strings without any embedding (D=0) is solved. The world sheets of interacting strings are represented by dynamical planar graphs with dynamical holes of arbitrary sizes. The phenomenon of spontaneous tearing of the world sheet is noticed, which gives a singularity at zero coupling constant of string interaction. This phenomenon can be considered as a nonperturbative effect, similar to renormalons in planar field theories and is closely related to the α' → 0 limit of string field theories. (orig.)

  14. D-branes in little string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Israel, Dan; Pakman, Ari; Troost, Jan

    2005-01-01

    We analyze in detail the D-branes in the near-horizon limit of NS5-branes on a circle, the holographic dual of little string theory in a double scaling limit. We emphasize their geometry in the background of the NS5-branes and show the relation with D-branes in coset models. The exact one-point functions giving the coupling of the closed string states with the D-branes and the spectrum of open strings are computed. Using these results, we analyze several aspects of Hanany-Witten setups, using exact CFT analysis. In particular we identify the open string spectrum on the D-branes stretched between NS5-branes which confirms the low-energy analysis in brane constructions, and that allows to go to higher energy scales. As an application we show the emergence of the beta-function of the N=2 gauge theory on D4-branes stretching between NS5-branes from the boundary states describing the D4-branes. We also speculate on the possibility of getting a matrix model description of little string theory from the effective theory on the D1-branes. By considering D3-branes orthogonal to the NS5-branes we find a CFT incarnation of the Hanany-Witten effect of anomalous creation of D-branes. Finally we give an brief description of some non-BPS D-branes

  15. Exact solutions and singularities in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horowitz, G.T.; Tseytlin, A.A.

    1994-01-01

    We construct two new classes of exact solutions to string theory which are not of the standard plane wave of gauged WZW type. Many of these solutions have curvature singularities. The first class includes the fundamental string solution, for which the string coupling vanishes near the singularity. This suggests that the singularity may not be removed by quantum corrections. The second class consists of hybrids of plane wave and gauged WZW solutions. We discuss a four-dimensional example in detail

  16. The space-time operator product expansion in string theory duals of field theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aharony, Ofer; Komargodski, Zohar

    2008-01-01

    We study the operator product expansion (OPE) limit of correlation functions in field theories which possess string theory duals, from the point of view of the string worldsheet. We show how the interesting ('single-trace') terms in the OPE of the field theory arise in this limit from the OPE of the worldsheet theory of the string dual, using a dominant saddle point which appears in computations of worldsheet correlation functions in the space-time OPE limit. The worldsheet OPE generically contains only non-physical operators, but all the non-physical contributions are resummed by the saddle point to a contribution similar to that of a physical operator, which exactly matches the field theory expectations. We verify that the OPE limit of the worldsheet theory does not have any other contributions to the OPE limit of space-time correlation functions. Our discussion is completely general and applies to any local field theory (conformal at high energies) that has a weakly coupled string theory dual (with arbitrary curvature). As a first application, we compare our results to a proposal of R. Gopakumar for the string theory dual of free gauge theories

  17. String Theory and Pre-big bang Cosmology

    CERN Document Server

    Gasperini, M.

    In string theory, the traditional picture of a Universe that emerges from the inflation of a very small and highly curved space-time patch is a possibility, not a necessity: quite different initial conditions are possible, and not necessarily unlikely. In particular, the duality symmetries of string theory suggest scenarios in which the Universe starts inflating from an initial state characterized by very small curvature and interactions. Such a state, being gravitationally unstable, will evolve towards higher curvature and coupling, until string-size effects and loop corrections make the Universe "bounce" into a standard, decreasing-curvature regime. In such a context, the hot big bang of conventional cosmology is replaced by a "hot big bounce" in which the bouncing and heating mechanisms originate from the quantum production of particles in the high-curvature, large-coupling pre-bounce phase. Here we briefly summarize the main features of this inflationary scenario, proposed a quarter century ago. In its si...

  18. Supersymmetric gauge theories from string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Metzger, St.

    2005-12-01

    This thesis presents various ways to construct four-dimensional quantum field theories from string theory. In a first part we study the generation of a supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, coupled to an adjoint chiral superfield, from type IIB string theory on non-compact Calabi-Yau manifolds, with D-branes wrapping certain sub-cycles. Properties of the gauge theory are then mapped to the geometric structure of the Calabi-Yau space. Even if the Calabi-Yau geometry is too complicated to evaluate the geometric integrals explicitly, one can then always use matrix model perturbation theory to calculate the effective superpotential. The second part of this work covers the generation of four-dimensional super-symmetric gauge theories, carrying several important characteristic features of the standard model, from compactifications of eleven-dimensional supergravity on G 2 -manifolds. If the latter contain conical singularities, chiral fermions are present in the four-dimensional gauge theory, which potentially lead to anomalies. We show that, locally at each singularity, these anomalies are cancelled by the non-invariance of the classical action through a mechanism called 'anomaly inflow'. Unfortunately, no explicit metric of a compact G 2 -manifold is known. Here we construct families of metrics on compact weak G 2 -manifolds, which contain two conical singularities. Weak G 2 -manifolds have properties that are similar to the ones of proper G 2 -manifolds, and hence the explicit examples might be useful to better understand the generic situation. Finally, we reconsider the relation between eleven-dimensional supergravity and the E 8 x E 8 -heterotic string. This is done by carefully studying the anomalies that appear if the supergravity theory is formulated on a ten-manifold times the interval. Again we find that the anomalies cancel locally at the boundaries of the interval through anomaly inflow, provided one suitably modifies the classical action. (author)

  19. The operator formalism and contact terms in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doyle, M.D.

    1992-01-01

    The operator formalism has proven to be a powerful tool in string theory. In particular, by making explicit the role of a choice of local coordinates (or, equivalently, a normal-ordering prescription) at vertex operator insertions, it provides a framework for understanding the insertion of very general states in both on-shell string theory and string field theory, for formulating a semirigid N = 2 geometry-based approach to topological gravity, for resolving ambiguities in fermionic string theory, and for analyzing contact interactions. The main focus of this thesis on this last application of the operator formalism, although it touches on each of the others. The first goal is the analysis of the dilaton contact terms required for the dilaton equation in the bosonic and heterotic strings. In the bosonic case, a coordinate family appropriate for a punctured sphere is given and is used to calculate dilaton two-point functions. This coordinate family is later generalized to a 'good' coordinate family appropriate for dilaton calculations on higher genus surfaces. It is found that dilaton-dilaton contact terms are improperly normalized resulting in the failure of the dilaton equation, suggesting that the zero-momentum dilaton is not the string coupling constant. This seems to be the result of a tachyon divergence. A similar calculation in the heterotic case, where there is no tachyon, shows that the dilaton contact terms are properly normalized, and that the dilaton equation and the interpretation of the dilaton as the string coupling constant goes through. The other major goal is re-examination of Green and Seiberg's work which showed that, in simple treatments of fermionic string theory, it is necessary to introduce contact interactions when vertex operators collide to avoid the failure of certain superconformal Ward identities

  20. Neutrino Majorana masses from string theory instanton effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ibanez, Luis E.; Uranga, Angel M.

    2007-01-01

    Finding a plausible origin for right-handed neutrino Majorana masses in semirealistic compactifications of string theory remains one of the most difficult problems in string phenomenology. We argue that right-handed neutrino Majorana masses are induced by non-perturbative instanton effects in certain classes of string compactifications in which the U(1) B-L gauge boson has a Stueckelberg mass. The induced operators are of the form e -U ν R ν R where U is a closed string modulus whose imaginary part transforms appropriately under B-L. This mass term may be quite large since this is not a gauge instanton and Re U is not directly related to SM gauge couplings. Thus the size of the induced right-handed neutrino masses could be a few orders of magnitude below the string scale, as phenomenologically required. It is also argued that this origin for neutrino masses would predict the existence of R-parity in SUSY versions of the SM. Finally we comment on other phenomenological applications of similar instanton effects, like the generation of a μ-term, or of Yukawa couplings forbidden in perturbation theory

  1. Topics in string theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorbatov, Elie

    In the first part of the dissertation we study noncommutative field theories at finite temperature. We find evidence for winding states and observe the existence of a transition to a new phase where there is a reduction of the degrees of freedom in the non-planar sector of the theory. We emphasize that such a transition is generic and insensitive to the particulars of the UV definition of the theory. In the second part we investigate some aspects of M-theory compactifications on orbifolds. The heterotic E8 x E 8 string compactified on T4/ ZN has gauge group G x G˜ with massless states in the twisted sector charged under both factors. In the dual M-theory description on T4/ ZN x S1/Z 2 the two groups do not communicate with each other since they reside on the boundary of the eleven dimensional spacetime. This leads to a conundrum for the twisted states of the perturbative heterotic string for there does not seem to be local degrees of freedom which carry charges under both G and G˜. We propose a resolution of this apparent paradox by nonperturbative states in M-theory. In support of our argument we review the consideration of six-dimensional gauge couplings and verify the local anomaly cancellation. In order to understand the dynamical properties of these states we deform the orbifold geometry, find an equivalent string theory background, and brane engineer the low energy six-dimensional field theories. In the process we encounter many exotic and surprising phenomena which are intrinsically M-theoretic and completely invisible to the perturbative observer.

  2. String tensions for lattice gauge theories in 2+1 dimensions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ambjoern, J.; Hey, A.J.G.; Otto, S.

    1982-01-01

    Compact U(1) and SU(2) lattice gauge theories in 3 euclidean dimensions are studied by standard Monte Carlo techniques. The question of extracting reliable string tensions from these theories is examined in detail, including a comparison of the Monte Carlo Wilson loop data with weak coupling predictions and a careful error analysis: our conclusions are rather different from those of previous investigations of these theories. In the case of U(1) theory, we find that only a tiny range of β values can possibly be relevant for extracting a string tension and we are unable to convincingly demonstrate the expected exponential dependence of the string tension on β. For the SU(2) theory we are able to determine, albeit with rather large errors, a string tension from a study of Wilson loops. (orig.)

  3. ((F, D1), D3) bound state, S-duality and noncommutative open string/Yang-Mills theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, J.X.; Roy, S.; Singh, H.

    2000-01-01

    We study decoupling limits and S-dualities for noncommutative open string/Yang-Mills theory in a gravity setup by considering an SL(2,Z) invariant supergravity solution of the form ((F, D1), D3) bound state of type IIB string theory. This configuration can be regarded as D3-branes with both electric and magnetic fields turned on along one of the spatial directions of the brane and preserves half of the space-time supersymmetries of the string theory. Our study indicates that there exists a decoupling limit for which the resulting theory is an open string theory defined in a geometry with noncommutativity in both space-time and space-space directions. We study S-duality of this noncommutative open string (NCOS) and find that the same decoupling limit in the S-dual description gives rise to a space-space noncommutative Yang-Mills theory (NCYM). We also discuss independently the decoupling limit for NCYM in this D3 brane background. Here we find that S-duality of NCYM theory does not always give a NCOS theory. Instead, it can give an ordinary Yang-Mills with a singular metric and an infinitely large coupling. We also find that the open string coupling relation between the two S-duality related theories is modified such that S-duality of a strongly coupled open-string/Yang-Mills theory does not necessarily give a weakly coupled theory. The relevant gravity dual descriptions of NCOS/NCYM are also given. (author)

  4. Inflationary string theory?

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    strongly motivate a detailed search for inflation within string theory, although it has ... between string theory and observations provides a strong incentive for ..... sonably be expected to arise for any system having very many degrees of freedom.

  5. Deriving the four-string and open-closed string interactions from geometric string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaku, M.

    1990-01-01

    One of the questions concerning the covariant open string field theory is why there are two distinct BRST theories and why the four-string interaction appears in one version but not the other. The authors solve this mystery by showing that both theories are gauge-fixed versions of a higher gauge theory, called the geometric string field theory, with a new field, a string verbein e μσ νρ , which allows us to gauge the string length and σ parametrization. By fixing the gauge, the authors can derive the endpoint gauge (the covariantized light cone gauge), the midpoint gauge of Witten, or the interpolating gauge with arbitrary string length. The authors show explicitly that the four-string interaction is a gauge artifact of the geometric theory (the counterpart of the four-fermion instantaneous Coulomb term of QED). By choosing the interpolating gauge, they produce a new class of four-string interactions which smoothly interpolate between the endpoint gauge and the midpoint gauge (where it vanishes). Similarly, they can extract the closed string as a bound state of the open string, which appears in the endpoint gauge but vanishes in the midpoint gauge. Thus, the four-string and open-closed string interactions do not have to be added to the action as long as the string vierbein is included

  6. Open branes in space-time non-commutative little string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harmark, T.

    2001-01-01

    We conjecture the existence of two new non-gravitational six-dimensional string theories, defined as the decoupling limit of NS5-branes in the background of near-critical electrical two- and three-form RR fields. These theories are space-time non-commutative Little String Theories with open branes. The theory with (2,0) supersymmetry has an open membrane in the spectrum and reduces to OM theory at low energies. The theory with (1,1) supersymmetry has an open string in the spectrum and reduces to (5+1)-dimensional NCOS theory for weak NCOS coupling and low energies. The theories are shown to be T-dual with the open membrane being T-dual to the open string. The theories therefore provide a connection between (5+1)-dimensional NCOS theory and OM theory. We study the supergravity duals of these theories and we consider a chain of dualities that shows how the T-duality between the two theories is connected with the S-duality between (4+1)-dimensional NCOS theory and OM theory

  7. String theory as a quantum theory of gravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horowitz, G.T.

    1990-01-01

    First, the connection between string theory and gravity is discussed - at first sight the theory of strings seem to have nothing to do with gravity but an intimate connection is shown. Then the quantum perturbation expansion is discussed. Thirdly, string theory is considered as a classical theory of gravity and finally recent speculation about a phase of string theory which is independent of a spacetime metric is discussed. (author)

  8. Heterotic string solutions and coset conformal field theories

    CERN Document Server

    Giveon, Amit; Tseytlin, Arkady A

    1993-01-01

    We discuss solutions of the heterotic string theory which are analogous to bosonic and superstring backgrounds related to coset conformal field theories. A class of exact `left-right symmetric' solutions is obtained by supplementing the metric, antisymmetric tensor and dilaton of the superstring solutions by the gauge field background equal to the generalised Lorentz connection with torsion. As in the superstring case, these backgrounds are $\\a'$-independent, i.e. have a `semiclassical' form. The corresponding heterotic string sigma model is obtained from the combination of the (1,0) supersymmetric gauged WZNW action with the action of internal fermions coupled to the target space gauge field. The pure (1,0) supersymmetric gauged WZNW theory is anomalous and does not describe a consistent heterotic string solution. We also find (to the order $\\alpha'^3$) a two-dimensional perturbative heterotic string solution with the trivial gauge field background. To the leading order in $\\alpha'$ it coincides with the kno...

  9. Interpolating string field theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zwiebach, B.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that a minimal area problem imposing different length conditions on open and closed curves is shown to define a one-parameter family of covariant open-closed quantum string field theories. These interpolate from a recently proposed factorizable open-closed theory up to an extended version of Witten's open string field theory capable of incorporating on shell closed strings. The string diagrams of the latter define a new decomposition of the moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces with punctures and boundaries based on quadratic differentials with both first order and second order poles

  10. Functional determinants in gauge theory and string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Della Pietra, V.J.

    1988-01-01

    Determinants arise whenever Gaussian functional integrals are evaluated. As a result, they are pervasive in physics. In this thesis the author studied, in a mathematically precise fashion, some questions concerning functional determinants in Quantum Field Theory and String Theory. The emphasis is on deriving explicit general identities which can be applied to physical problems. In Chapters 1-3, he studies determinants of families of Weyl operators on compact manifolds. The motivation for this work comes from Chiral Gauge Theory. In a theory containing chiral Fermions coupled to Bosons y, a partial integration in the functional integral over the Fermi fields yields terms involving determinants of Weyl operators ∂y. In Chapter 4 he turns his attention to a problem in String Theory. In the Polyakov formulation of string perturbation theory, the partition function and scattering amplitudes are calculated as sums of contributions from different world sheet topologies. The contribution from surfaces of a particular topology is given by a functional integral, which, after gauge-fixing, can be expressed as an integral of a certain measure over an appropriate moduli space. For an arbitrary finite group acting on a compact manifold, he defines an analytic torsion for the invariant subcomplex of the de Rham complex, generalizing the definition given by Ray and Singer in the absence of a group action. Motivated by the work of Quillen, he uses this torsion to define a natural norm on the determinant line of the invariant cohomology

  11. String Theory Methods for Condensed Matter Physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nastase, Horatiu

    2017-09-01

    Preface; Acknowledgments; Introduction; Part I. Condensed Matter Models and Problems: 1. Lightning review of statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, phases and phase transitions; 2. Magnetism in solids; 3. Electrons in solids: Fermi gas vs. Fermi liquid; 4. Bosonic quasi-particles: phonons and plasmons; 5. Spin-charge separation in 1+1 dimensional solids: spinons and holons; 6. The Ising model and the Heisenberg spin chain; 7. Spin chains and integrable systems; 8. The thermodynamic Bethe ansatz; 9. Conformal field theories and quantum phase transitions; 10. Classical vs. quantum Hall effect; 11. Superconductivity: Landau-Ginzburg, London and BCS; 12. Topology and statistics: Berry and Chern-Simons, anyons and nonabelions; 13. Insulators; 14. The Kondo effect and the Kondo problem; 15. Hydrodynamics and transport properties: from Boltzmann to Navier-Stokes; Part II. Elements of General Relativity and String Theory: 16. The Einstein equation and the Schwarzschild solution; 17. The Reissner-Nordstrom and Kerr-Newman solutions and thermodynamic properties of black holes; 18. Extra dimensions and Kaluza-Klein; 19. Electromagnetism and gravity in various dimensions. Consistent truncations; 20. Gravity plus matter: black holes and p-branes in various dimensions; 21. Weak/strong coupling dualities in 1+1, 2+1, 3+1 and d+1 dimensions; 22. The relativistic point particle and the relativistic string; 23. Lightcone strings and quantization; 24. D-branes and gauge fields; 25. Electromagnetic fields on D-branes. Supersymmetry and N = 4 SYM. T-duality of closed strings; 26. Dualities and M theory; 27. The AdS/CFT correspondence: definition and motivation; Part III. Applying String Theory to Condensed Matter Problems: 28. The pp wave correspondence: string Hamiltonian from N = 4 SYM; 29. Spin chains from N = 4 SYM; 30. The Bethe ansatz: Bethe strings from classical strings in AdS; 31. Integrability and AdS/CFT; 32. AdS/CFT phenomenology: Lifshitz, Galilean and Schrodinger

  12. String Theory in a Nutshell

    CERN Document Server

    Kiritsis, Elias

    2007-01-01

    This book is the essential new introduction to modern string theory, by one of the world's authorities on the subject. Concise, clearly presented, and up-to-date, String Theory in a Nutshell brings together the best understood and most important aspects of a theory that has been evolving since the early 1980s. A core model of physics that substitutes one-dimensional extended ""strings"" for zero-dimensional point-like particles (as in quantum field theory), string theory has been the leading candidate for a theory that would successfully unify all fundamental forces of nature, includin

  13. The theta-structure in string theories - 1: bosonic strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Miao.

    1985-09-01

    We explored the theta-structures in bosonic string theories which are similar to those in gauge field theories. The theta-structure of string is due to the multiply connected spatial compact subspace of space-time. The work of this paper shows that there is an energy band E(theta) in the string theory and one may move the tachyon out in theory by choosing some proper theta parameters. (author)

  14. String theory and water waves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iyer, Ramakrishnan; Johnson, Clifford V; Pennington, Jeffrey S

    2011-01-01

    We uncover a remarkable role that an infinite hierarchy of nonlinear differential equations plays in organizing and connecting certain c-hat <1 string theories non-perturbatively. We are able to embed the type 0A and 0B (A, A) minimal string theories into this single framework. The string theories arise as special limits of a rich system of equations underpinned by an integrable system known as the dispersive water wave hierarchy. We observe that there are several other string-like limits of the system, and conjecture that some of them are type IIA and IIB (A, D) minimal string backgrounds. We explain how these and several string-like special points arise and are connected. In some cases, the framework endows the theories with a non-perturbative definition for the first time. Notably, we discover that the Painleve IV equation plays a key role in organizing the string theory physics, joining its siblings, Painleve I and II, whose roles have previously been identified in this minimal string context.

  15. String theory in four dimensions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dine, M.

    1988-01-01

    A representative sample of current ideas about how one might develop a string phenomenology is presented. Some of the obstacles which lie in between string theory and contact with experiment are described. It is hoped that this volume will provide the reader with ways of thinking about string theory in four dimensions and provide tools for asking questions about string theory and ordinary physics. 102 refs

  16. Quantum backreaction in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evnin, O.

    2012-01-01

    There are situations in string theory when a finite number of string quanta induce a significant backreaction upon the background and render the perturbation theory infrared-divergent. The simplest example is D0-brane recoil under an impact by closed strings. A more physically interesting case is backreaction on the evolution of a totally compact universe due to closed string gas. Such situations necessitate qualitative amendments to the traditional formulation of string theory in a fixed classical background. In this contribution to the proceedings of the XVII European Workshop on String Theory in Padua, I review solved problems and current investigations in relation to this kind of quantum backreaction effects. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  17. Functional integral approach to string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakita, B.

    1987-01-01

    Fermionic string theory can be made supersymmetric: the superstring. It contains among others mass zero gauge fields of spin 1 and 2. The recent revival of interests in string field theories is due to the recognition of the compactified superstring theory as a viable theory of grandunification of all interactions, especially after Green and Schwarz's discovery of the gauge and gravitational anomaly cancellation in 0(32) superstring theory. New developments include string phenomenology, general discussions of compactification, new models, especially the heterotic string. These are either applications or extensions of string field theories. Although these are very exciting developments, the author limits his attention to the basics of the bosonic string theory

  18. Matrix String Theory

    CERN Document Server

    Dijkgraaf, R; Verlinde, Herman L

    1997-01-01

    Via compactification on a circle, the matrix model of M-theory proposed by Banks et al suggests a concrete identification between the large N limit of two-dimensional N=8 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory and type IIA string theory. In this paper we collect evidence that supports this identification. We explicitly identify the perturbative string states and their interactions, and describe the appearance of D-particle and D-membrane states.

  19. QCD and string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cohen-Tannoudji, G.

    1990-01-01

    This paper is devoted to a review of the connections between quantumchromodynamics (QCD) and string theories. One reviews the phenomenological models leading to string pictures in non perturbative QCD and the string effects, related to soft gluon coherence, which arise in perturbative QCD. One tries to build a string theory which goes to QCD at the zero slope limit. A specific model, based on superstring theories is shown to agree with QCD four point amplitudes at the Born approximation and with one loop corrections. One shows how this approach can provide a theoretical framework to account for the phenomenological property of parton-hadron duality

  20. On Field Theory of Open Strings, Tachyon Condensation and Closed Strings

    OpenAIRE

    Shatashvili, Samson L.

    2001-01-01

    I review the physical properties of different vacua in the background independent open string field theory. Talk presented at Strings 2001, Mumbai, India, http://theory.theory.tifr.res.in/strings/Proceedings/#sha-s.

  1. Gauge coupling unification in realistic free-fermionic string models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dienes, K.R.; Faraggi, A.E.

    1995-01-01

    We discuss the unification of gauge couplings within the framework of a wide class of realistic free-fermionic string models which have appeared in the literature, including the flipped SU(5), SO(6)xSO(4), and various SU(3)xSU(2)xU(1) models. If the matter spectrum below the string scale is that of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), then string unification is in disagreement with experiment. We therefore examine several effects that may modify the minimal string predictions. First, we develop a systematic procedure for evaluating the one-loop heavy string threshold corrections in free-fermionic string models, and we explicitly evaluate these corrections for each of the realistic models. We find that these string threshold corrections are small, and we provide general arguments explaining why such threshold corrections are suppressed in string theory. Thus heavy thresholds cannot resolve the disagreement with experiment. We also study the effect of non-standard hypercharge normalizations, light SUSY thresholds, and intermediate-scale gauge structure, and similarly conclude that these effects cannot resolve the disagreement with low-energy data. Finally, we examine the effects of additional color triplets and electroweak doublets beyond the MSSM. Although not required in ordinary grand unification scenarios, such states generically appear within the context of certain realistic free-fermionic string models. We show that if these states exist at the appropriate thresholds, then the gauge couplings will indeed unify at the string scale. Thus, within these string models, string unification can be in agreement with low-energy data. (orig.)

  2. String field theory solution for any open string background

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Erler, T.; Maccaferri, Carlo

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 10, Oct (2014), 1-37 ISSN 1029-8479 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP201/12/G028 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : tachyon condensation * string field theory * conformal field models in string theory * bosonic strings Subject RIV: BE - Theoretical Physics Impact factor: 6.111, year: 2014

  3. Testing string theory at LHC?

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2002-01-01

    A theory with such mathematical beauty cannot be wrong: this is one of the main arguments in favour of string theory, which unifies all known physical theories of fundamental interactions in a single coherent description of the universe. But no one has ever observed strings, not even indirectly, nor the space of extra dimensions where they live. However there are good reasons to believe that the 'hidden' dimensions of string theory may be much larger than what we thought in the past and that they may be within experimental reach in the near future - together with the strings themselves. In my talk, I will give an elementary introduction of string theory and describe the main experimental predictions.Organiser(s): Jasper Kirkby / EP DivisionNote: Tea & coffee will be served at 16.00 hrs.

  4. String cosmology. Large-field inflation in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Westphal, Alexander

    2014-09-01

    This is a short review of string cosmology. We wish to connect string-scale physics as closely as possible to observables accessible to current or near-future experiments. Our possible best hope to do so is a description of inflation in string theory. The energy scale of inflation can be as high as that of Grand Unification (GUT). If this is the case, this is the closest we can possibly get in energy scales to string-scale physics. Hence, GUT-scale inflation may be our best candidate phenomenon to preserve traces of string-scale dynamics. Our chance to look for such traces is the primordial gravitational wave, or tensor mode signal produced during inflation. For GUT-scale inflation this is strong enough to be potentially visible as a B-mode polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Moreover, a GUT-scale inflation model has a trans-Planckian excursion of the inflaton scalar field during the observable amount of inflation. Such large-field models of inflation have a clear need for symmetry protection against quantum corrections. This makes them ideal candidates for a description in a candidate fundamental theory like string theory. At the same time the need of large-field inflation models for UV completion makes them particularly susceptible to preserve imprints of their string-scale dynamics in the inflationary observables, the spectral index n s and the fractional tensor mode power r. Hence, we focus this review on axion monodromy inflation as a mechanism of large-field inflation in string theory.

  5. String theory in four dimensions

    CERN Document Server

    1988-01-01

    ``String Theory in Four Dimensions'' contains a representative collection of papers dealing with various aspects of string phenomenology, including compactifications on smooth manifolds and more general conformal field theories. Together with the lucid introduction by M. Dine, this material gives the reader a good working knowledge of our present ideas for connecting string theory to nature.

  6. Minimal string theories and integrable hierarchies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iyer, Ramakrishnan

    Well-defined, non-perturbative formulations of the physics of string theories in specific minimal or superminimal model backgrounds can be obtained by solving matrix models in the double scaling limit. They provide us with the first examples of completely solvable string theories. Despite being relatively simple compared to higher dimensional critical string theories, they furnish non-perturbative descriptions of interesting physical phenomena such as geometrical transitions between D-branes and fluxes, tachyon condensation and holography. The physics of these theories in the minimal model backgrounds is succinctly encoded in a non-linear differential equation known as the string equation, along with an associated hierarchy of integrable partial differential equations (PDEs). The bosonic string in (2,2m-1) conformal minimal model backgrounds and the type 0A string in (2,4 m) superconformal minimal model backgrounds have the Korteweg-de Vries system, while type 0B in (2,4m) backgrounds has the Zakharov-Shabat system. The integrable PDE hierarchy governs flows between backgrounds with different m. In this thesis, we explore this interesting connection between minimal string theories and integrable hierarchies further. We uncover the remarkable role that an infinite hierarchy of non-linear differential equations plays in organizing and connecting certain minimal string theories non-perturbatively. We are able to embed the type 0A and 0B (A,A) minimal string theories into this single framework. The string theories arise as special limits of a rich system of equations underpinned by an integrable system known as the dispersive water wave hierarchy. We find that there are several other string-like limits of the system, and conjecture that some of them are type IIA and IIB (A,D) minimal string backgrounds. We explain how these and several other string-like special points arise and are connected. In some cases, the framework endows the theories with a non

  7. Semiclassical spinning strings and confining gauge theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bigazzi, F.; Cotrone, A.L.; Martucci, L.

    2004-03-01

    We study multi-charged rotating string states on Type II B regular backgrounds dual to confining SU(N) gauge theories with (softly broken) N=1 supersymmetry, in the infra red regime. After exhibiting the classical energy/charge relations for the folded and circular two-charge strings, we compute in the latter case the one loop sigma-model quantum correction. The classical relation has an expansion in positive powers of the analogous of the BMN effective coupling, while the quantum corrections are non perturbative in nature and are not subleading in the limit of infinite charge. We comment about the dual field theory multi-charged hadrons and the implications of our computation for the AdS/N=4 duality. (author)

  8. Is the string theory doomed?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Meur, H.; Daninos, F.; Bachas, C.

    2007-01-01

    Since its beginning, in the sixties, the string theory has succeeded in overcoming a lot of theoretical difficulties but now the complete absence of experimental validation entertains doubts about its ability to represent the real world and questions its hegemony in today's theoretical physics. Other space-time theories like the twistors, or the non-commutative geometry, or the loop quantum gravity, or the causal dynamics triangulation might begin receiving more attention. Despite all that, the string theory can be given credit for 4 achievements. First, the string theory has provided a consistent quantum description of gravity. Secondly, the string theory has built a theoretical frame that has allowed the unification of the 4 basic interactions. Thirdly, the string theory applied to astrophysics issues has demonstrated that the evaporation of a black hole does not necessarily lead to a loss of information which comforts the universality of the conservation of the quantity of information in any system and as a consequence put a fatal blow to the so-called paradox observed in black holes. Fourthly, the string theory has given a new and original meaning on the true nature of space-time. (A.C.)

  9. A primer on string theory

    CERN Document Server

    Schomerus, Volker

    2017-01-01

    Since its conception in the 1960s, string theory has been hailed as one of the most promising routes we have to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity. This book provides a concise introduction to string theory explaining central concepts, mathematical tools and covering recent developments in physics including compactifications and gauge/string dualities. With string theory being a multidisciplinary field interfacing with high energy physics, mathematics and quantum field theory, this book is ideal for both students with no previous knowledge of the field and scholars from other disciplines who are looking for an introduction to basic concepts.

  10. Progress in string theory research

    CERN Document Server

    2016-01-01

    At the first look, the String Theory seems just an interesting and non-trivial application of the quantum mechanics and the special relativity to vibrating strings. By itself, the quantization of relativistic strings does not call the attention of the particle physicist as a significant paradigm shift. However, when the string quantization is performed by applying the standard rules of the perturbative Quantum Field Theory, one discovers that the strings in certain states have the same physical properties as the gravity in the flat space-time. Chapter one of this book reviews the construction of the thermal bosonic string and D-brane in the framework of the Thermo Field Dynamics (TFD). It briefly recalls the wellknown light-cone quantization of the bosonic string in the conformal gauge in flat space-time, and gives a bird’s eye view of the fundamental concepts of the TFD. Chapter two examines a visual model inspired by string theory, on the system of interacting anyons. Chapter three investigate the late-ti...

  11. String theory compactifications

    CERN Document Server

    Graña, Mariana

    2017-01-01

    The lectures in this book provide graduate students and non-specialist researchers with a concise introduction to the concepts and formalism required to reduce the ten-dimensional string theories to the observable four-dimensional space-time - a procedure called string compactification. The text starts with a very brief introduction to string theory, first working out its massless spectrum and showing how the condition on the number of dimensions arises. It then dwells on the different possible internal manifolds, from the simplest to the most relevant phenomenologically, thereby showing that the most elegant description is through an extension of ordinary Riemannian geometry termed generalized geometry, which was first introduced by Hitchin. Last but not least, the authors review open problems in string phenomenology, such as the embedding of the Standard Model and obtaining de Sitter solutions.

  12. Strings - Links between conformal field theory, gauge theory and gravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Troost, J.

    2009-05-01

    String theory is a candidate framework for unifying the gauge theories of interacting elementary particles with a quantum theory of gravity. The last years we have made considerable progress in understanding non-perturbative aspects of string theory, and in bringing string theory closer to experiment, via the search for the Standard Model within string theory, but also via phenomenological models inspired by the physics of strings. Despite these advances, many deep problems remain, amongst which a non-perturbative definition of string theory, a better understanding of holography, and the cosmological constant problem. My research has concentrated on various theoretical aspects of quantum theories of gravity, including holography, black holes physics and cosmology. In this Habilitation thesis I have laid bare many more links between conformal field theory, gauge theory and gravity. Most contributions were motivated by string theory, like the analysis of supersymmetry preserving states in compactified gauge theories and their relation to affine algebras, time-dependent aspects of the holographic map between quantum gravity in anti-de-Sitter space and conformal field theories in the bulk, the direct quantization of strings on black hole backgrounds, the embedding of the no-boundary proposal for a wave-function of the universe in string theory, a non-rational Verlinde formula and the construction of non-geometric solutions to supergravity

  13. Introduction to string theory

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva. Audiovisual Unit

    2002-01-01

    I will present a simple and non-technical overview of string theory, aimed for non-experts who like to get some idea what string theory is about. Besides introductory material, I intend to cover also some of the more recent developments.

  14. String theory as a Lilliputian world

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ambjørn, J.; Makeenko, Y.

    2016-01-01

    Lattice regularizations of the bosonic string do not allow us to probe the tachyon. This has often been viewed as the reason why these theories have never managed to make any contact to standard continuum string theories when the dimension of spacetime is larger than two. We study the continuum string theory in large spacetime dimensions where simple mean field theory is reliable. By keeping carefully the cutoff we show that precisely the existence of a tachyon makes it possible to take a scaling limit which reproduces the lattice-string results. We compare this scaling limit with another scaling limit which reproduces standard continuum-string results. If the people working with lattice regularizations of string theories are akin to Gulliver they will view the standard string-world as a Lilliputian world no larger than a few lattice spacings.

  15. String theory as a Lilliputian world

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ambjørn, J., E-mail: ambjorn@nbi.dk [The Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen University, Blegdamsvej 17, DK-2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); IMAPP, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Makeenko, Y., E-mail: makeenko@nbi.dk [The Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen University, Blegdamsvej 17, DK-2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, B. Cheremushkinskaya 25, 117218 Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2016-05-10

    Lattice regularizations of the bosonic string do not allow us to probe the tachyon. This has often been viewed as the reason why these theories have never managed to make any contact to standard continuum string theories when the dimension of spacetime is larger than two. We study the continuum string theory in large spacetime dimensions where simple mean field theory is reliable. By keeping carefully the cutoff we show that precisely the existence of a tachyon makes it possible to take a scaling limit which reproduces the lattice-string results. We compare this scaling limit with another scaling limit which reproduces standard continuum-string results. If the people working with lattice regularizations of string theories are akin to Gulliver they will view the standard string-world as a Lilliputian world no larger than a few lattice spacings.

  16. Introduction to field theory of strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kikkawa, K.

    1987-01-01

    The field theory of bosonic string is reviewed. First, theory is treated in a light-cone gauge. After a brief survey of the first quantized theory of free string, the second quantization is discussed. All possible interactions of strings are introduced based on a smoothness condition of work sheets swept out by strings. Perturbation theory is developed. Finally a possible way to the manifest covariant formalism is discussed

  17. A Note on Tensionless Strings in M-Theory

    OpenAIRE

    Davis, K.

    1996-01-01

    In this article we examine the appearance of tensionless strings in M-Theory. We subsequently interpret these tensionless strings in a String Theory context. In particular, we examine tensionless strings appearing in M-Theory on $S^{1}$, M-Theory on $S^{1} / {\\bf Z}_{2}$, and M-Theory on $T^{2}$; we then interpret the appearance of such strings in a String Theory context. Then we reverse this process and examine the appearance of some tensionless strings in String Theory. Subsequently we inte...

  18. String theory and quantum gravity '92

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harvey, J.; Iengo, R.; Narain, K.S.; Randjbar Daemi, S.; Verlinde, H.

    1993-01-01

    These proceedings of the 1992 Trieste Spring School and Workshop on String Theory and Quantum Gravity contains introductions and overviews of recent work on the use of two-dimensional string inspired models in the study of black holes, a lecture on gravitational scattering at planckian energies, another on the physical properties of higher-dimensional black holes and black strings in string theory, a discussion on N=2 superconformal field theories, a lecture about the application of matrix model techniques to the study of string theory in two dimensions, and an overview of the current status and developments in string field theory. Connections with models in statistical mechanics are also discussed. These proceedings contain seven lectures and ten contributions. Refs and figs

  19. Non-linear σ-models and string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sen, A.

    1986-10-01

    The connection between σ-models and string theories is discussed, as well as how the σ-models can be used as tools to prove various results in string theories. Closed bosonic string theory in the light cone gauge is very briefly introduced. Then, closed bosonic string theory in the presence of massless background fields is discussed. The light cone gauge is used, and it is shown that in order to obtain a Lorentz invariant theory, the string theory in the presence of background fields must be described by a two-dimensional conformally invariant theory. The resulting constraints on the background fields are found to be the equations of motion of the string theory. The analysis is extended to the case of the heterotic string theory and the superstring theory in the presence of the massless background fields. It is then shown how to use these results to obtain nontrivial solutions to the string field equations. Another application of these results is shown, namely to prove that the effective cosmological constant after compactification vanishes as a consequence of the classical equations of motion of the string theory. 34 refs

  20. Charting the Landscape of Supercritical String Theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hellerman, Simeon; Swanson, Ian

    2007-01-01

    Special solutions of string theory in supercritical dimensions can interpolate in time between theories with different numbers of spacetime dimensions and different amounts of world sheet supersymmetry. These solutions connect supercritical string theories to the more familiar string duality web in ten dimensions and provide a precise link between supersymmetric and purely bosonic string theories. Dimension quenching and c duality appear to be natural concepts in string theory, giving rise to large networks of interconnected theories

  1. Hosotani model in closed string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shiraishi, Kiyoshi.

    1988-11-01

    Hosotani mechanism in the closed string theory with current algebra symmetry is described by the (old covariant) operator method. We compare the gauge symmetry breaking mechanism in a string theory which has SU(2) symmetry with the one in an equivalent compactified closed string theory. We also investigate the difference between Hosotani mechanism and Higgs mechanism in closed string theories by calculation of a fourpoint amplitude of 'Higgs' bosons at tree level. (author)

  2. Strong coupling in F-theory and geometrically non-Higgsable seven-branes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Halverson

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Geometrically non-Higgsable seven-branes carry gauge sectors that cannot be broken by complex structure deformation, and there is growing evidence that such configurations are typical in F-theory. We study strongly coupled physics associated with these branes. Axiodilaton profiles are computed using Ramanujan's theories of elliptic functions to alternative bases, showing explicitly that the string coupling is O(1 in the vicinity of the brane; that it sources nilpotent SL(2,Z monodromy and therefore the associated brane charges are modular; and that essentially all F-theory compactifications have regions with order one string coupling. It is shown that non-perturbative SU(3 and SU(2 seven-branes are related to weakly coupled counterparts with D7-branes via deformation-induced Hanany–Witten moves on (p,q string junctions that turn them into fundamental open strings; only the former may exist for generic complex structure. D3-brane near these and the Kodaira type II seven-branes probe Argyres–Douglas theories. The BPS states of slightly deformed theories are shown to be dyonic string junctions.

  3. Open-closed string correspondence in open string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baumgartl, M.; Sachs, I.

    2008-01-01

    We address the problem of describing different closed string backgrounds in background independent open string field theory: A shift in the closed string background corresponds to a collective excitation of open strings. As an illustration we apply the formalism to the case where the closed string background is a group manifold. (Abstract Copyright [2008], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  4. Boundary string field theory and an open string one-loop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Tae Jin; Viswanathan, K. S.; Yang, Yi

    2003-01-01

    We discuss the open string one-loop partition function in the tachyon condensation background of an unstable D-brane system. We evaluate the partition function by using the boundary-state formulation and find that it is in complete agreement with the result obtained in the boundary string field theory. This suggests that the open string higher loop diagrams may be produced consistently by using a closed string field theory, where the D-brane plays the role of a source for the closed string field

  5. Cosmological horizons, quintessence and string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaloper, Nemanja

    2003-01-01

    String theory is presently the best candidate for a quantum theory of gravity unified with other forces. It is natural to hope that applications of string theory to cosmology may shed new light on the cosmological conundra, such as singularities, initial conditions, cosmological constant problem and the origin of inflation. Before we can apply string theory to cosmology, there are important conceptual and practical problems which must be addressed. We have reviewed here some of these problems, related to how one defines string theory in a cosmological setting. (author)

  6. Spin chains and string theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kruczenski, Martin

    2004-10-15

    Recently, an important test of the anti de Sitter/conformal field theory correspondence has been done using rotating strings with two angular momenta. We show that such a test can be described more generally as the agreement between two actions: one a low energy description of a spin chain appearing in the field theory side, and the other a limit of the string action in AdS5xS5. This gives a map between the mean value of the spin in the boundary theory and the position of the string in the bulk, and shows how a string action can emerge from a gauge theory in the large-N limit.

  7. Supersymmetry Constraints and String Theory on K3

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Ying-Hsuan; Shao, Shu-Heng [Jefferson Physical Laboratory, Harvard University,Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Wang, Yifan [Center for Theoretical Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Yin, Xi [Jefferson Physical Laboratory, Harvard University,Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

    2015-12-22

    We study supervertices in six dimensional (2,0) supergravity theories, and derive supersymmetry non-renormalization conditions on the 4- and 6-derivative four-point couplings of tensor multiplets. As an application, we obtain exact non-perturbative results of such effective couplings in type IIB string theory compactified on K3 surface, extending previous work on type II/heterotic duality. The weak coupling limit thereof, in particular, gives certain integrated four-point functions of half-BPS operators in the nonlinear sigma model on K3 surface, that depend nontrivially on the moduli, and capture worldsheet instanton contributions.

  8. Spin chain for quantum strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beisert, N.

    2005-01-01

    We review and compare the integrable structures in N=4 gauge theory and string theory on AdS 5 x S 5 . Recently, Bethe ansaetze for gauge theory/weak coupling and string theory/strong coupling were proposed to describe scaling dimensions in the su(2) subsector. Here we investigate the Bethe equations for quantum string theory, naively extrapolated to weak coupling. Excitingly, we find a spin chain Hamiltonian similar, but not equal, to the gauge theory dilatation operator. (Abstract Copyright [2005], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  9. Basic concepts of string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blumenhagen, Ralph

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this book is to thoroughly prepare the reader for research in string theory. It is intended as a textbook in the sense that, starting from the basics, the material is presented in a pedagogical and self-contained fashion. The emphasis is on the world-sheet perspective of closed strings and of open strings ending on D-branes, where two-dimensional conformal field theory is the main tool. Compactifications of string theory, with and without fluxes, and string dualities are also discussed from the space-time point of view, i.e. in geometric language. End-of-chapter references have been added to guide the reader intending to pursue further studies or to start research in the topics covered by this book.

  10. The status and future prospects of string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gross, D.J.

    1990-01-01

    After a general introduction to the description of the fundamental forces by gauge theories and the difficulties occurring in the attemps of unifying these theories with gravity the reasons for the introduction of string theory are explained. After a description of the construction of a string theory the string theory of gravity is considered. Then the problems of string theory are described. Thereafter elastic scattering in string theory at energies comparable with the Planck mass is considered. Finally some prospects for string theory are discussed. (HSI)

  11. Interaction of solitons with a string of coupled quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, Vijendra, E-mail: vsmedphysics@gmail.com; Swami, O. P., E-mail: omg1789@gmail.com; Nagar, A. K., E-mail: ajaya.nagar@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Govt. Dungar College, Bikaner, Rajasthan 334001 (India); Taneja, S., E-mail: sachintaneja9@gmail.com [Department of Radiotherapy, CHAF Bangalore, Karnataka 560007 (India)

    2016-05-06

    In this paper, we develop a theory for discrete solitons interaction with a string of coupled quantum dots in view of the local field effects. Discrete nonlinear Schrodinger (DNLS) equations are used to describe the dynamics of the string. Numerical calculations are carried out and results are analyzed with the help of matlab software. With the help of numerical solutions we demonstrate that in the quantum dots string, Rabi oscillations (RO) are self trapped into stable bright Rabi solitons. The Rabi oscillations in different types of nanostructures have potential applications to the elements of quantum logic and quantum memory.

  12. Basic Concepts of String Theory

    CERN Document Server

    Blumenhagen, Ralph; Theisen, Stefan

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this book is to thoroughly prepare the reader for research in string theory. It is intended as a textbook in the sense that, starting from the basics, the material is presented in a pedagogical and self-contained fashion. The emphasis is on the world-sheet perspective of closed strings and of open strings ending on D-branes, where two-dimensional conformal field theory is the main tool. Compactifications of string theory, with and without fluxes, and string dualities are also discussed from the space-time point of view, i.e. in geometric language. End-of-chapter references have been added to guide the reader intending to pursue further studies or to start research in the topics covered by this book.

  13. On background-independent open-string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Witten, E.

    1992-01-01

    A framework for background-independent open-string field theory is proposed. The approach involves using the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism, in a way suggested by recent developments in closed-string field theory, to implicitly define a gauge-invariant Lagrangian in a hypothetical ''space of all open-string world-sheet theories.'' It is built into the formalism that classical solutions of the string field theory are Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin- (BRST-) invariant open-string world-sheet theories and that, when expanding around a classical solution, the infinitesimal gauge transformations are generated by the world-sheet BRST operator

  14. String theory on the edge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thorlacius, L.

    1989-01-01

    Open string vacuum configurations are described in terms of a one-dimensional field theory on the worldsheet boundary. The one-dimensional path integral has direct physical interpretation as a source term for closed string fields. This means that the vacuum divergences (Mobius infinities) of the path integral must be renormalized correctly. The author shows that reparametrization invariance Ward identities, apart from specifying the equations of motion of spacetime background gauge fields, also serve to fix the renormalization scheme of the vacuum divergences. He argues that vacuum configurations of open strings correspond to Caldeira-Leggett models of dissipative quantum mechanics (DQM) evaluated at a delocalization critical point. This connection reveals that critical DQM will manifest reparametrization invariance (inherited from the conformal invariance of string theory) rather than just scale invariance. This connection should open up new ways of constructing analytic and approximate solutions of open string theory (in particular, topological solitons such as monopoles and instantons). Type I superstring theory gives rise to a supersymmetric boundary field theory. Bose-Fermi cancellation eliminates vacuum divergences but the one-loop beta function remains the same as in the bosonic theory. Reparametrization invariance Ward identities dictate a boundary state normalization which yields consistent string-loop corrections to spacetime equations of motion, in both the periodic and anti-periodic fermion sectors

  15. Remarks on entanglement entropy in string theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balasubramanian, Vijay; Parrikar, Onkar

    2018-03-01

    Entanglement entropy for spatial subregions is difficult to define in string theory because of the extended nature of strings. Here we propose a definition for bosonic open strings using the framework of string field theory. The key difference (compared to ordinary quantum field theory) is that the subregion is chosen inside a Cauchy surface in the "space of open string configurations." We first present a simple calculation of this entanglement entropy in free light-cone string field theory, ignoring subtleties related to the factorization of the Hilbert space. We reproduce the answer expected from an effective field theory point of view, namely a sum over the one-loop entanglement entropies corresponding to all the particle-excitations of the string, and further show that the full string theory regulates ultraviolet divergences in the entanglement entropy. We then revisit the question of factorization of the Hilbert space by analyzing the covariant phase-space associated with a subregion in Witten's covariant string field theory. We show that the pure gauge (i.e., BRST exact) modes in the string field become dynamical at the entanglement cut. Thus, a proper definition of the entropy must involve an extended Hilbert space, with new stringy edge modes localized at the entanglement cut.

  16. Heterotic cosmic strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, Katrin; Becker, Melanie; Krause, Axel

    2006-01-01

    We show that all three conditions for the cosmological relevance of heterotic cosmic strings, the right tension, stability and a production mechanism at the end of inflation, can be met in the strongly coupled M-theory regime. Whereas cosmic strings generated from weakly coupled heterotic strings have the well-known problems posed by Witten in 1985, we show that strings arising from M5-branes wrapped around 4-cycles (divisors) of a Calabi-Yau in heterotic M-theory compactifications solve these problems in an elegant fashion

  17. Tadpole resummations in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kitazawa, Noriaki

    2008-01-01

    While R-R tadpoles should be canceled for consistency, string models with broken supersymmetry generally have uncanceled NS-NS tadpoles. Their presence signals that the background does not solve the field equations, so that these models are in 'wrong' vacua. In this Letter we investigate, with reference to some prototype examples, whether the true values of physical quantities can be recovered resumming the NS-NS tadpoles, hence by an approach that is related to the analysis based on String Field Theory by open-closed duality. We show that, indeed, the positive classical vacuum energy of a Dp-brane of the bosonic string is exactly canceled by the negative contribution arising from tree-level tadpole resummation, in complete agreement with Sen's conjecture on open-string tachyon condensation and with the consequent analysis based on String Field Theory. We also show that the vanishing classical vacuum energy of the SO(8192) unoriented bosonic open-string theory does not receive any tree-level corrections from the tadpole resummation. This result is consistent with the fact that this (unstable) configuration is free from tadpoles of massless closed-string modes, although there is a tadpole of the closed string tachyon. The application of this method to superstring models with broken supersymmetry is also discussed

  18. Electric magnetic duality in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sen, A.

    1992-07-01

    The electric-magnetic duality transformation in four dimensional heterotic string theory discussed by Shapere, Trivedi and Wilczek is shown to be an exact symmetry of the equations of motion of low energy effective field theory even after including the scalar and the vector fields, arising due to compactification, in the effective field theory. Using this duality transformation we construct rotating black hole solutions in the effective field theory carrying both electric and magnetic charges. The spectrum of extremal magnetically charged black holes turn out to be similar to that of electrically charged elementary string excitations lying on the leading Regge trajectory. We also discuss the possibility that the duality symmetry is an exact symmetry of the full string theory under which electrically charged elementary string excitations get exchanged with magnetically charged soliton like solutions. This proposal might be made concrete following the suggestion of Dabholkar et. al. that fundamental strings may be regarded as soliton like classical solutions in the effective field theory. (author). 20 refs

  19. Unified string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gross, D.J.

    1985-01-01

    String theories offer a way of realizing the potential of supersymmetry, Kaluza-Klein and much more. They represent a radical departure from ordinary quantum field theory, but in the direction of increased symmetry and structure. They are based on an enormous increase in the number of degrees of freedom, since in addition to fermionic coordinates and extra dimensions, the basic entities are extended one dimensional objects instead of points. Correspondingly the symmetry group is greatly enlarged, in a way that we are only beginning to comprehend. At the very least this extended symmetry contains the largest group of symmetries that can be contemplated within the framework of point field theories-those of ten-dimensional supergravity and super Yang-Mills theory. Types of string theories and the phenomenology to be expected from them are reviewed

  20. Differential formulation in string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guzzo, M.M.

    1987-01-01

    The equations of gauge invariance motion for theories of boson open strings and Neveu-Schwarz and Ramond superstring are derived. A construction for string theories using differential formalism, is introduced. The importance of BRST charge for constructing such theories and the necessity of introduction of auxiliary fields are verified. (M.C.K.) [pt

  1. On effective theories of topological strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elitzur, S.; Forge, A.; Rabinovici, E.

    1992-01-01

    We study the construction of effective target-space theories of topological string theories. The example of the CP1 topological sigma model is analysed in detail. An effective target-space theory whose correlation functions are defined by the sum over connected Riemann surfaces of all genera is found to be itself topological. The values of the couplings of this effective theory are expressed in terms of those of the world-sheet theory for a general CP1-like world-sheet model. Any model of this type can be obtained as an effective theory. The definition of the effective theory's expectation values as a sum over disconnected surfaces as well, is shown not to be compatible with those of a topological theory, at least as long as the connectivity of the target space is kept fixed. Dilaton-type couplings emerge in the full lagrangian realization of the moduli space of topological theories with n observables. En route, we encounter a nonperturbative duality, an equivalence of theories with different world-sheets and discuss the relation between the cosmological constant in these finite theories and the zero-point function. (orig.)

  2. International conference on string theory

    CERN Document Server

    2017-01-01

    The Strings 2017 conference is part of the "Strings" series of annual conferences, that bring the entire string theory community together. It will include reviews of major developments in the field, and specialized talks on specific topics. There will also be several public lectures given by conference participants, a pre-Strings school at the Technion, and a post-Strings workshop at the Weizmann Institute.

  3. Cosmic string in compactified gauge theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakamura, A.; Hirenzaki, S.; Shiraishi, K.

    1989-08-01

    A solution of the vortex type is given in a six-dimensional SU(2)xU(1) pure gauge theory coupled to Einstein gravity in a compactified background geometry. We construct the solution of an effective Abelian-Higgs model in terms of dimensional reduction. The solution, however, has a peculiarity in its physically relevant quantity, a deficit angle, which is given as a function of the ratio of the gauge couplings of SU(2) and U(1). The size of the extra space (sphere) is shown to vary with the distance from the axis of the 'string'. (author)

  4. String duality and novel theories without gravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kachru, Shamit

    1998-01-01

    We describe some of the novel 6d quantum field theories which have been discovered in studies of string duality. The role these theories (and their 4d descendants) may play in alleviating the vacuum degeneracy problem in string theory is reviewed. The DLCQ of these field theories is presented as one concrete way of formulating them, independent of string theory

  5. String theory and pre-big bang cosmology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gasperini, M.; Veneziano, G.

    2016-09-01

    In string theory, the traditional picture of a Universe that emerges from the inflation of a very small and highly curved space-time patch is a possibility, not a necessity: quite different initial conditions are possible, and not necessarily unlikely. In particular, the duality symmetries of string theory suggest scenarios in which the Universe starts inflating from an initial state characterized by very small curvature and interactions. Such a state, being gravitationally unstable, will evolve towards higher curvature and coupling, until string-size effects and loop corrections make the Universe "bounce" into a standard, decreasing-curvature regime. In such a context, the hot big bang of conventional cosmology is replaced by a "hot big bounce" in which the bouncing and heating mechanisms originate from the quantum production of particles in the high-curvature, large-coupling pre-bounce phase. Here we briefly summarize the main features of this inflationary scenario, proposed a quarter century ago. In its simplest version (where it represents an alternative and not a complement to standard slow-roll inflation) it can produce a viable spectrum of density perturbations, together with a tensor component characterized by a "blue" spectral index with a peak in the GHz frequency range. That means, phenomenologically, a very small contribution to a primordial B-mode in the CMB polarization, and the possibility of a large enough stochastic background of gravitational waves to be measurable by present or future gravitational wave detectors.

  6. A Yang-Mills structure for string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsousheung Tsun

    1990-01-01

    String theorists believe that one way to achieve a fully quantized theory of string is through string field theory. The other way is to study conformal field theory on Riemann surfaces of different genera, which is the subject of many of the talks at this Conference. In a way, string field theory is the more conservative approach, since it aims just to replace the spacetime points of conventional quantum field theory by string, which are extended objects. However, from this point of view string theory has one rather unsatisfactory aspect, in the sense that although it has been very well developed and minutely studied, we are still rather unclear about its basic structure. We can contrast this to both general relativity, which is based on the geometry of spacetime, and to gauge theory, which is about the structure of various natural bundles over spacetime. And yet string theory is supposed to embody both these two essentially geometric theories. To paraphrase Witten, in string theory we seem to have to work backwards to get at the still unknown basic structure. Some joint work with Chan Hong-Mo is reported in an attempt to gain some understanding in that general direction. It seems that one could in some sense consider string field theory as a generalized Yang-Mills theory. This idea is explored. (author)

  7. Introduction to the theory of strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peskin, M.E.

    1985-10-01

    These lectures present, from an introductory perspective, some basic aspects of the quantum theory of strings. They treat (1) the kinematics, spectrum, and scattering amplitude of the bosonic string, (2) the spectrum and supersymmetry of Green-Schwarz superstring, and (3) the identification of the underlying gauge invariances of the string theory. 43 refs

  8. Hermiticity and CPT in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sonoda, Hidenori

    1989-01-01

    In the application of conformal field theory to string theory S-matrix elements are obtained from correlation functions of vertex operators. By studying the relation between the vertex operators for the incoming states and those for the outgoing states we obtain two results: First we show that hermiticity of the string vertices is equivalent to the CPT invariance of the corresponding conformal field theory. Secondly we prove that the S-matrix elements in any string theory in flat space-time background are invariant under CPT. (orig.)

  9. Symmetries and Interactions in Matrix String Theory

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hacquebord, F.H.

    1999-01-01

    This PhD-thesis reviews matrix string theory and recent developments therein. The emphasis is put on symmetries, interactions and scattering processes in the matrix model. We start with an introduction to matrix string theory and a review of the orbifold model that flows out of matrix string theory

  10. Non-supersymmetric flux compactifications of heterotic string- and M-theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Held, Johannes Georg Joseph

    2012-05-08

    This dissertation is concerned with non-supersymmetric vacua of string theory in the supergravity (SUGRA) approach. This approach is the effective description of string theory at low energies. The concrete field of research that is treated here is heterotic E{sub 8} x E{sub 8} string theory at weak and at strong coupling, respectively. In the strong coupling limit the theory is described by eleven-dimensional SUGRA with two ten-dimensional boundaries (heterotic M-Theory). The transition to the weak coupling limit is governed by the restricted space dimension, whose length tends to zero for weak coupling such that the two boundaries get identified with each other. The resulting theory is ten-dimensional E{sub 8} x E{sub 8} SUGRA. In the context of this heterotic SUGRA, at first six of the former nine space-dimensions are compactified, and then, in the presence of non-vanishing background flux, conditions for unbroken supersymmetry (SUSY) in four space-time dimensions are analyzed. Afterwards, a violation of one of the necessary SUSY conditions is allowed. An essential ingredient, necessary for this to work, is the presence of flux. This kind of SUSY-breaking leads to severe constraints on the compact six-dimensional manifold, which can be satisfied by fiber bundles with two-dimensional fiber and four-dimensional base. In simple examples one can stabilize the expectation value of the dilaton as well as the volume of the fiber, whereas the volume of the base remains undetermined. Furthermore, the effect of a fermionic condensate is analyzed. The expected additional SUSY-breaking can be observed, and it is shown that the breaking induced by the flux can not be canceled by the contributions from the condensate. The end of this thesis is concerned with the discussion of the strong coupling limit of the previously found examples. To analyze this, it is necessary to rewrite the action of heterotic M-theory as a sum of quadratic terms, which vanish once SUSY is imposed

  11. Regularization of finite temperature string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leblanc, Y.; Knecht, M.; Wallet, J.C.

    1990-01-01

    The tachyonic divergences occurring in the free energy of various string theories at finite temperature are eliminated through the use of regularization schemes and analytic continuations. For closed strings, we obtain finite expressions which, however, develop an imaginary part above the Hagedorn temperature, whereas open string theories are still plagued with dilatonic divergences. (orig.)

  12. Field theory of relativistic strings: I. Trees

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaku, M.; Kikkawa, K.

    1985-01-01

    The authors present an entirely new kind of field theory, a field theory quantized not at space-time points, but quantized along an extended set of multilocal points on a string. This represents a significant departure from the usual quantum field theory, whose free theory represents a definite set of elementary particles, because the field theory on relativistic strings can accommodate an infinite set of linearly rising Regge trajectories. In this paper, the authors (1) present canonical quantization and the Green's function of the free string, (2) introduce three-string interactions, (3) resolve the question of multiple counting, (4) complete the counting arguments for all N-point trees, and (5) introduce four-string interactions which yield a Yang-Mills structure when the zero-slope limit is taken

  13. On integrable c < 1 open-closed string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, C.V.

    1994-01-01

    The integrable structure of open-closed string theories in the (p, q) conformal minimal model backgrounds is presented. The relation between the τ-function of the closed string theory and that of the open-closed string theory is uncovered. The resulting description of the open-closed string theory is shown to fit very naturally into the framework of the sl(q, C) KdV hierarchies. In particular, the twisted bosons which underlie and organise the structure of the closed string theory play a similar role here and may be employed to derive loop equations and correlation function recursion relations for the open-closed strings in a simple way. (orig.)

  14. Symmetry breaking in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potting, R.

    1998-01-01

    A mechanism for a spontaneous breakdown of CPT symmetry appears in string theory, with possible implications for particle models. A realistic string theory might exhibit CPT violation at levels detectable in current or future experiments. A possible new mechanism for baryogenesis in the early Universe is also discussed

  15. String Theory Volume 1: An Introduction to the Bosonic String and Volume 2: Superstring Theory and Beyond

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carlip, S [Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)

    2006-10-21

    The early 1980s, when I first learned theory, were desperate times for graduate students. We searched frantically for coherent introductions, passing tattered copies of review articles around like samizdat, struggling over obscure references to ancient models of strong interactions, and flocking to lectures-not least those by Joe Polchinski-that promised to really explain what was going on. If only this book had been around, it would have saved much grief. Volume I, The Bosonic String, offers a clear and well organized introduction to bosonic string theory. Topics range from the 'classical' (spectra, vertex operators, consistency conditions, etc.) to the 'modern' (D-branes first appear in an exercise at the end of chapter 1, noncommutative geometry shows up in chapter 8). Polchinski does not hesitate to discuss sophisticated matters-path integral measures, BRST symmetries, etc.-but his approach is pedagogical, and his writing is lucid, if sometimes a bit terse. Chapters end with problems that are sometimes difficult but never impossible. A very useful annotated bibliography directs readers to resources for further study, and a nearly 30-page glossary provides short but clear definitions of key terms. There is much here that will appeal to relativists. Polchinski uses the covariant Polyakov path integral approach to quantization from early on; he clearly distinguishes Weyl invariance from conformal invariance; he is appropriately careful about using complex coordinates on topologically nontrivial manifolds; he keeps the string world sheet metric explicit at the start instead of immediately hiding it by a gauge choice. Volume II includes an elegant introduction to anticommuting coordinates and superconformal transformations. A few conventions may cause confusion-%, Polchinski's stress-energy tensor, for instance, differs from the standard general relativistic definition by a factor of -2{pi}, and while this is briefly mentioned in the text

  16. On novel string theories from 4d gauge theories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kiritsis Elias

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available We investigate strings theories as defined from four dimensional gauge theories. It is argued that novel (superstring theories exist up to 26 dimensions. Some of them may support weakly curved geometries. A proposal is outlined to link their local conformal invariance to the dynamics of the bulk string theory.

  17. Cosmological string theory with thermal energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shiraishi, Kiyoshi.

    1988-09-01

    An attempt to construct a cosmological scenario directly from string theory is made. Cosmological string theory was presented by Antoniadis, Bachas, Ellis and Nanopoulos. They also expect loop effects on cosmological string theory. In this paper, we point out the other importance of the one-loop effect, the finite temperature effect. The equations of motion for background geometry at finite temperature is given. We address a problem on derivation of the effective action at non-zero temperature. (author)

  18. Lectures on string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thorn, C.B.

    1988-01-01

    Several topics are discussed in string theory presented as three lectures to the Spring School on Superstrings at the ICTP at Trieste, Italy, in April, 1988. The first lecture is devoted to some general aspects of conformal invariance and duality. The second sketches methods for carrying out perturbative calculations in string field theory. The final lecture presents an alternative lattice approach to a nonperturbative formulation of the sum over world surfaces. 35 refs., 12 figs

  19. An introduction to string theory

    OpenAIRE

    West, Peter C

    1989-01-01

    These notes are based on lectures given by Michael Green during Part III of the Mathematics Tripos (the Certificate for Advanced Study in Mathematics) in the Spring of 2003. The course provided an introduction to string theory, focussing on the Bosonic string, but treating the superstring as well. A background in quantum field theory and general relativity is assumed. Some background in particle physics, group theory and conformal field theory is useful, though not essential. A number of appe...

  20. String Theory Volume 1: An Introduction to the Bosonic String and Volume 2: Superstring Theory and Beyond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carlip, S

    2006-01-01

    The early 1980s, when I first learned theory, were desperate times for graduate students. We searched frantically for coherent introductions, passing tattered copies of review articles around like samizdat, struggling over obscure references to ancient models of strong interactions, and flocking to lectures-not least those by Joe Polchinski-that promised to really explain what was going on. If only this book had been around, it would have saved much grief. Volume I, The Bosonic String, offers a clear and well organized introduction to bosonic string theory. Topics range from the 'classical' (spectra, vertex operators, consistency conditions, etc.) to the 'modern' (D-branes first appear in an exercise at the end of chapter 1, noncommutative geometry shows up in chapter 8). Polchinski does not hesitate to discuss sophisticated matters-path integral measures, BRST symmetries, etc.-but his approach is pedagogical, and his writing is lucid, if sometimes a bit terse. Chapters end with problems that are sometimes difficult but never impossible. A very useful annotated bibliography directs readers to resources for further study, and a nearly 30-page glossary provides short but clear definitions of key terms. There is much here that will appeal to relativists. Polchinski uses the covariant Polyakov path integral approach to quantization from early on; he clearly distinguishes Weyl invariance from conformal invariance; he is appropriately careful about using complex coordinates on topologically nontrivial manifolds; he keeps the string world sheet metric explicit at the start instead of immediately hiding it by a gauge choice. Volume II includes an elegant introduction to anticommuting coordinates and superconformal transformations. A few conventions may cause confusion-%, Polchinski's stress-energy tensor, for instance, differs from the standard general relativistic definition by a factor of -2π, and while this is briefly mentioned in the text, it could easily be missed

  1. Cosmic strings in unified gauge theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Everett, A.E.

    1981-01-01

    Some spontaneously broken gauge theories can give rise to stringlike vacuum structures (vortices). It has been pointed out by Vilenkin that in grand unified theories these can be sufficiently massive to have cosmological implications, e.g., in explaining the formation of galaxies. The circumstances in which such structures occur are examined. They do not occur in the simplest grand unified theories, but can occur in some more elaborate models which have been proposed. The cross section for the scattering of elementary particles by strings is estimated. This is used to evaluate the effect of collisions on the dynamics of a collapsing circular string, with particular attention to the question of whether energy dissipation by collision can reduce the rate of formation of black holes by collapsed strings, which may be unacceptably large in models where strings occur. It is found that the effect of collisions is not important in the case of grand unified strings, although it can be important for lighter strings

  2. Quantum field theory of point particles and strings

    CERN Document Server

    Hatfield, Brian

    1992-01-01

    The purpose of this book is to introduce string theory without assuming any background in quantum field theory. Part I of this book follows the development of quantum field theory for point particles, while Part II introduces strings. All of the tools and concepts that are needed to quantize strings are developed first for point particles. Thus, Part I presents the main framework of quantum field theory and provides for a coherent development of the generalization and application of quantum field theory for point particles to strings.Part II emphasizes the quantization of the bosonic string.

  3. Big bang models in string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Craps, Ben [Theoretische Natuurkunde, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and The International Solvay Institutes Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels (Belgium)

    2006-11-07

    These proceedings are based on lectures delivered at the 'RTN Winter School on Strings, Supergravity and Gauge Theories', CERN, 16-20 January 2006. The school was mainly aimed at PhD students and young postdocs. The lectures start with a brief introduction to spacetime singularities and the string theory resolution of certain static singularities. Then they discuss attempts to resolve cosmological singularities in string theory, mainly focusing on two specific examples: the Milne orbifold and the matrix big bang.

  4. Hagedorn Behavior of Little String Theories from string corrections to NS5-branes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Harmark, Troels; Obers, N. A.

    2000-01-01

    We examine the Hagedorn behavior of little string theory using its conjectured duality with near-horizon NS5-branes. In particular, by studying the string-corrected NS5-brane supergravity solution, it is shown that tree-level corrections to the temperature vanish, while the leading one-loop string...... correction generates the correct temperature dependence of the entropy near the Hagedorn temperature. Finally, the Hagedorn behavior of ODp-brane theories, which are deformed versions of little string theory, is considered via their supergravity duals....

  5. Proceedings of the 14. Claude Itzykson Meeting-2009 recent advances in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aharoni, O.; Arkani-Hamed, N.; Becker, K.; Berkovits, N.; Bern, Z.; De Boer, J.; Emparan, R.; Green, M.; Hartnoll, S.; Heckman, J.; Kachru, S.; Lambert, N.; Louis, J.; Marino, M.; Mathur, S.; McAllister, L.; McGreevy, J.; Polchinski, J.; Sen, A.; Weigand, T.

    2009-01-01

    This document is made up of the slides of the presentations. The titles of the 20 presentations are the following: 1) On d=3 Yang-Mills Chern-Simons theories with 'fractional branes' and their gravity duals; 2) Holography and the S-Matrix; 3) Torsional heterotic geometries; 4) Spin chains from the topological AdS 5 xS 5 string; 5) Harmony of Scattering Amplitudes: from N=4 Super-Yang-Mills Theory to N=8 Supergravity; 6) Quantum aspects of black holes; 7) Black-folds; 8) Supersymmetric String and Field Theory Scattering Amplitudes; 9) Quantum bosons for holographic superconductors; 10) The Point of E8 in F-theory GUTs; 11) Gauge/gravity duality and particle physics; 12) Coupling M2-branes to Background Fields; 13) Compactifications and Generalized Geometries; 14) Nonperturbative aspects of the topological string; 15) Lessons from the information paradox: 16) Inflation in String Theory; 17) Holographic descriptions of quantum liquids; 18) Holography from CFT; 19) Black hole hair removal; and 20) Type IIB GUT vacua and their F-theory uplift

  6. Quantum consistency of open string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Govaerts, J.

    1989-01-01

    We discuss how Virasoro anomalies in open string theories uniquely select the gauge group SO(2 D/2 ) independently of any regularisation, although the cancellation of these anomalies does not occur in tachyonic theories, and regulators can always be chosen to make these theories (one-loop) finite for any SO(n) and USp(n) gauge group. The discussion is mainly restricted to open bosonic strings. These results open new perspectives for the recent suggestion made by Sagnotti, the generalisations of which allow for the construction of new open string theories in less than ten dimensions. (orig.)

  7. EFFECTIVE ACTIONS FOR HETEROTIC STRING THEORY

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    SUELMANN, H

    Heterotic String Theory is an attempt to construct a description of nature that is more satisfying than the Standard Model. A major problem is that it is very difficult to do explicit calculations in string theory. Therefore, it is useful to construct a 'normal' field theory that approximates HST.

  8. Tensor constructions of open string theories. I. Foundations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaberdiel, M.R.; Zwiebach, B.

    1997-01-01

    The possible tensor constructions of open string theories are analyzed from first principles. To this end the algebraic framework of open string field theory is clarified, including the role of the homotopy associative A ∞ algebra, the odd symplectic structure, cyclicity, star conjugation, and twist. It is also shown that two string theories are off-shell equivalent if the corresponding homotopy associative algebras are homotopy equivalent in a strict sense. It is demonstrated that a homotopy associative star algebra with a compatible even bilinear form can be attached to an open string theory. If this algebra does not have a space-time interpretation, positivity and the existence of a conserved ghost number require that its cohomology is at degree zero, and that it has the structure of a direct sum of full matrix algebras. The resulting string theory is shown to be physically equivalent to a string theory with a familiar open string gauge group. (orig.)

  9. Geometry, topology, and string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Varadarajan, Uday [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2003-01-01

    A variety of scenarios are considered which shed light upon the uses and limitations of classical geometric and topological notions in string theory. The primary focus is on situations in which D-brane or string probes of a given classical space-time see the geometry quite differently than one might naively expect. In particular, situations in which extra dimensions, non-commutative geometries as well as other non-local structures emerge are explored in detail. Further, a preliminary exploration of such issues in Lorentzian space-times with non-trivial causal structures within string theory is initiated.

  10. Geometry, topology, and string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Varadarajan, Uday

    2003-01-01

    A variety of scenarios are considered which shed light upon the uses and limitations of classical geometric and topological notions in string theory. The primary focus is on situations in which D-brane or string probes of a given classical space-time see the geometry quite differently than one might naively expect. In particular, situations in which extra dimensions, non-commutative geometries as well as other non-local structures emerge are explored in detail. Further, a preliminary exploration of such issues in Lorentzian space-times with non-trivial causal structures within string theory is initiated

  11. Unity from duality: gravity, gauge theory and strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bachas, C.; Bilal, A.; Douglas, M.; Nekrasov, N.; David, F.

    2002-01-01

    The 76. session of the summer school in theoretical physics was devoted to recent developments in string theory, gauge theories and quantum gravity. Superstring theory is the leading candidate for a unified theory of all fundamental physical forces and elementary particles. The discovery of dualities and of important tools such as D-branes, has greatly reinforced this point of view. This document gathers the papers of 9 lectures: 1) supergravity, 2) supersymmetric gauge theories, 3) an introduction to duality symmetries, 4) large N field theories and gravity, 5) D-branes on the conifold and N = 1 gauge/gravity dualities, 6) de Sitter space, 7) string compactification with N = 1 supersymmetry, 8) open strings and non-commutative gauge theories, and 9) condensates near the Argyres-Douglas point in SU(2) gauge theory with broken N = 2 supersymmetry, and of 8 seminars: 1) quantum field theory with extra dimensions, 2) special holonomy spaces and M-theory, 3) four dimensional non-critical strings, 4) U-opportunities: why ten equal to ten?, 5) exact answers to approximate questions - non-commutative dipoles, open Wilson lines and UV-IR duality, 6) open-string models with broken supersymmetry, 7) on a field theory of open strings, tachyon condensation and closed strings, and 8) exceptional magic. (A.C.)

  12. Enhanced gauge symmetry in type II string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katz, S.; Ronen Plesser, M.

    1996-01-01

    We show how enhanced gauge symmetry in type II string theory compactified on a Calabi-Yau threefold arises from singularities in the geometry of the target space. When the target space of the type IIA string acquires a genus g curve C of A N-1 singularities, we find that an SU(N) gauge theory with g adjoint hypermultiplets appears at the singularity. The new massless states correspond to solitons wrapped about the collapsing cycles, and their dynamics is described by a twisted supersymmetric gauge theory on C x R 4 . We reproduce this result from an analysis of the S-dual D-manifold. We check that the predictions made by this model about the nature of the Higgs branch, the monodromy of period integrals, and the asymptotics of the one-loop topological amplitude are in agreement with geometrical computations. In one of our examples we find that the singularity occurs at strong coupling in the heterotic dual proposed by Kachru and Vafa. (orig.)

  13. Two-loop string theory on null compactifications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cove, Henry C.D.; Szabo, Richard J.

    2006-01-01

    We compute the two-loop contributions to the free energy in the null compactification of perturbative string theory at finite temperature. The cases of bosonic, type II and heterotic strings are all treated. The calculation exploits an explicit reductive parametrization of the moduli space of infinite-momentum frame string worldsheets in terms of branched cover instantons. Various arithmetic and physical properties of the instanton sums are described. Applications to symmetric product orbifold conformal field theories and to the matrix string theory conjecture are also briefly discussed

  14. Non-perturbative aspects of string theory from elliptic curves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reuter, Jonas

    2015-08-01

    We consider two examples for non-perturbative aspects of string theory involving elliptic curves. First, we discuss F-theory on genus-one fibered Calabi-Yau manifolds with the fiber being a hypersurface in a toric fano variety. We discuss in detail the fiber geometry in order to find the gauge groups, matter content and Yukawa couplings of the corresponding supergravity theories for the four examples leading to gauge groups SU(3) x SU(2) x U(1), SU(4) x SU(2) x SU(2)/Z 2 , U(1) and Z 3 . The theories are connected by Higgsings on the field theory side and conifold transitions on the geometry side. We extend the discussion to the network of Higgsings relating all theories stemming from the 16 hypersurface fibrations. For the models leading to gauge groups SU(3) x SU(2) x U(1), SU(4) x SU(2) x SU(2)/Z 2 and U(1) we discuss the construction of vertical G 4 fluxes. Via the D3-brane tadpole cancelation condition we can restrict the minimal number of families in the first two of these models to be at least three. As a second example for non-perturbative aspects of string theory we discuss a proposal for a non-perturbative completion of topological string theory on local B-model geometries. We discuss in detail the computation of quantum periods for the examples of local F 1 , local F 2 and the resolution of C 3 /Z 5 . The quantum corrections are calculated order by order using second order differential operators acting on the classical periods. Using quantum geometry we calculate the refined free energies in the Nekrasov-Shatashvili limit. Finally we check the non-perturbative completion of topological string theory for the geometry of local F 2 against numerical calculations.

  15. String amplitudes: from field theories to number theory

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2017-01-01

    In a variety of recent developments, scattering amplitudes hint at new symmetries of and unexpected connections between physical theories which are otherwise invisible in their conventional description via Feynman diagrams or Lagrangians. Yet, many of these hidden structures are conveniently accessible to string theory where gauge interactions and gravity arise as the low-energy excitations of open and closed strings. In this talk, I will give an intuitive picture of gravity as a double copy of gauge interactions and extend the web of relations to scalar field theories including chiral Lagrangians for Goldstone bosons. The string corrections to gauge and gravity amplitudes beyond their point-particle limit exhibit elegant mathematical structures and offer a convenient laboratory to explore modern number-theoretic concepts in a simple context. As a common theme with Feynman integrals, string amplitudes introduce a variety of periods and special functions including multiple zeta values and polylogarithms, orga...

  16. Supersymmetry and String Theory: Beyond the Standard Model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rocek, Martin

    2007-01-01

    When I was asked to review Michael Dine's new book, 'Supersymmetry and String Theory', I was pleased to have a chance to read a book by such an established authority on how string theory might become testable. The book is most useful as a list of current topics of interest in modern theoretical physics. It gives a succinct summary of a huge variety of subjects, including the standard model, symmetry, Yang-Mills theory, quantization of gauge theories, the phenomenology of the standard model, the renormalization group, lattice gauge theory, effective field theories, anomalies, instantons, solitons, monopoles, dualities, technicolor, supersymmetry, the minimal supersymmetric standard model, dynamical supersymmetry breaking, extended supersymmetry, Seiberg-Witten theory, general relativity, cosmology, inflation, bosonic string theory, the superstring, the heterotic string, string compactifications, the quintic, string dualities, large extra dimensions, and, in the appendices, Goldstone's theorem, path integrals, and exact beta-functions in supersymmetric gauge theories. Its breadth is both its strength and its weakness: it is not (and could not possibly be) either a definitive reference for experts, where the details of thorny technical issues are carefully explored, or a textbook for graduate students, with detailed pedagogical expositions. As such, it complements rather than replaces the much narrower and more focussed String Theory I and II volumes by Polchinski, with their deep insights, as well the two older volumes by Green, Schwarz, and Witten, which develop string theory pedagogically. (book review)

  17. Supergravity duals of matrix string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morales, Jose F.; Samtleben, Henning

    2002-01-01

    We study holographic duals of type II and heterotic matrix string theories described by warped AdS 3 supergravities. By explicitly solving the linearized equations of motion around near horizon D-string geometries, we determine the spectrum of Kaluza-Klein primaries for type I, II supergravities on warped AdS 3 xS 7 . The results match those coming from the dual two-dimensional gauge theories living on the D-string worldvolumes. We briefly discuss the connections with the N=(8,8), N=(8,0) orbifold superconformal field theories to which type IIB/heterotic matrix strings flow in the infrared. In particular, we associate the dimension (h,h-bar) (32,32) twisted operator which brings the matrix string theories out from the conformal point (R; 8 ) N /S N with the dilaton profile in the supergravity background. The familiar dictionary between masses and 'scaling' dimensions of field and operators are modified by the presence of non-trivial warp factors and running dilatons. These modifications are worked out for the general case of domain wall/QFT correspondences between supergravities on warped AdS d+1 xS q geometries and super Yang-Mills theories with 16 supercharges. (author)

  18. Massive IIA string theory and Matrix theory compactification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lowe, David A.; Nastase, Horatiu; Ramgoolam, Sanjaye

    2003-01-01

    We propose a Matrix theory approach to Romans' massive Type IIA supergravity. It is obtained by applying the procedure of Matrix theory compactifications to Hull's proposal of the massive Type IIA string theory as M-theory on a twisted torus. The resulting Matrix theory is a super-Yang-Mills theory on large N three-branes with a space-dependent noncommutativity parameter, which is also independently derived by a T-duality approach. We give evidence showing that the energies of a class of physical excitations of the super-Yang-Mills theory show the correct symmetry expected from massive Type IIA string theory in a lightcone quantization

  19. Supersymmetrical dual string theories and their field theory limits: A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Green, M.B.

    1985-01-01

    This paper outlines the construction and properties of supersymmetric string theories. Such theories, which describe the quantum mechanics of relativistic strings in ten-space time dimensions contain both N=4 Yang-Mills and N=8 supergravity field theories as special limits in which the string tension becomes infinite. Calculations of one-loop S-matrix elements reveal remarkable finiteness properties

  20. Introduction to conformal field theory. With applications to string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blumenhagen, Ralph; Plauschinn, Erik

    2009-01-01

    Based on class-tested notes, this text offers an introduction to Conformal Field Theory with a special emphasis on computational techniques of relevance for String Theory. It introduces Conformal Field Theory at a basic level, Kac-Moody algebras, one-loop partition functions, Superconformal Field Theories, Gepner Models and Boundary Conformal Field Theory. Eventually, the concept of orientifold constructions is explained in detail for the example of the bosonic string. In providing many detailed CFT calculations, this book is ideal for students and scientists intending to become acquainted with CFT techniques relevant for string theory but also for students and non-specialists from related fields. (orig.)

  1. From N=2 strings to M-theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ketov, S.V.

    1997-01-01

    Taking the N=2 strings as the starting point, we discuss the equivalent self-dual field theories and analyze their symmetry structure in 2 + 2 dimensions. Restoring the full 'Lorentz' invariance in the target space necessarily leads to an extension of the N=2 string theory to a theory of 2 + 2 dimensional supermembranes propagating in 2 + 10 dimensional target space. The supermembrane requires maximal conformal supersymmetry in 2 + 2 dimensions, in the way advocated by Siegel, and it leads to the self-dual N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory and the self-dual N=8 (gauged) supergravity in 2+2 dimensions. The N=2 strings now appear on equal footing with the other string models as particular limits of the M-theory. (orig.)

  2. Entanglement interpretation of black hole entropy in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brustein, Ram; Einhorn, Martin B.; Yarom, Amos

    2006-01-01

    We show that the entropy resulting from the counting of microstates of non extremal black holes using field theory duals of string theories can be interpreted as arising from entanglement. The conditions for making such an interpretation consistent are discussed. First, we interpret the entropy (and thermodynamics) of spacetimes with non degenerate, bifurcating Killing horizons as arising from entanglement. We use a path integral method to define the Hartle-Hawking vacuum state in such spacetimes and discuss explicitly its entangled nature and its relation to the geometry. If string theory on such spacetimes has a field theory dual, then, in the low-energy, weak coupling limit, the field theory state that is dual to the Hartle-Hawking state is a thermofield double state. This allows the comparison of the entanglement entropy with the entropy of the field theory dual, and thus, with the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of the black hole. As an example, we discuss in detail the case of the five dimensional anti-de Sitter, black hole spacetime

  3. Geometric derivation of string field theory from first principles: Closed strings and modular invariance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaku, M.

    1988-01-01

    We present an entirely new approach to closed-string field theory, called Igeometric string field theory R, which avoids the complications found in Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin string field theory (e.g., ghost counting, infinite overcounting of diagrams, midpoints, lack of modular invariance). Following the analogy with general relativity and Yang-Mills theory, we define a new infinite-dimensional local gauge group, called the unified string group, which uniquely specifies the connection fields, the curvature tensor, the measure and tensor calculus, and finally the action itself. Geometric field theory, when gauge fixed, yields an entirely new class of gauges called the interpolating gauge which allows us to smoothly interpolate between the midpoint gauge and the end-point gauge (''covariantized light-cone gauge''). We can show that geometric string field theory reproduces one copy of the Shapiro-Virasoro model. Surprisingly, after the gauge is broken, a new Iclosed four-string interactionR emerges as the counterpart of the instantaneous four-fermion Coulomb term in QED. This term restores modular invariance and precisely fills the missing region of the complex plane

  4. String theory and the scientific method

    CERN Document Server

    Dawid, Richard

    2013-01-01

    String theory has played a highly influential role in theoretical physics for nearly three decades and has substantially altered our view of the elementary building principles of the Universe. However, the theory remains empirically unconfirmed, and is expected to remain so for the foreseeable future. So why do string theorists have such a strong belief in their theory? This book explores this question, offering a novel insight into the nature of theory assessment itself. Dawid approaches the topic from a unique position, having extensive experience in both philosophy and high-energy physics. He argues that string theory is just the most conspicuous example of a number of theories in high-energy physics where non-empirical theory assessment has an important part to play. Aimed at physicists and philosophers of science, the book does not use mathematical formalism and explains most technical terms.

  5. Topics in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neveu, A.

    1986-01-01

    There exist several string models. In the first lecture, the simplest one, the open bosonic string, which turns out to live most naturally in 26 dimensions will be described in some detail. In the second lecture, the closed bosonic strings, and the open and closed 10-dimensional strings (superstrings) are reviewed. In the third lecture, various compactification schemes which have been proposed to deal with the extra space dimensions, from 4 to 10 or 26 are dealt with; in particular, the Frenkel-Kac construction which builds non-Abelian internal symmetry groups out of the compactified dimensions, and the resulting heterotic string are described. Finally, in the fourth lecture, the important problem of the second quantization of string theories, and of the underlying gauge invariance which is responsible for the possibility of dealing, in a consistent fashion, with interacting high-spin states without negative metric is addressed. 41 references, 8 figures

  6. Orbifolds of M-theory and type II string theories in two dimensions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roy, S.

    1997-01-01

    We consider several orbifold compactifications of M-theory and theircorresponding type II duals in two space-time dimensions. In particular, we show that while the orbifold compactification of M-theory on T 9 /J 9 is dual to the orbifold compactification of type IIB string theory on T 8 /I 8 , the same orbifold T 8 /I 8 of type IIA string theory is dual to M-theory compactified on a smooth product manifold K3 x T 5 . Similarly, while the orbifold compactification of M-theory on (K3 x T 5 )/σ. J 5 is dual to the orbifold compactification of type IIB string theory on (K3 x T 4 )/σ.I 4 , the same orbifold of type IIA string theory is dual to the orbifold T 4 x (K3 x S 1 )/σ.J 1 of M-theory. The spectrum of various orbifold compactifications of M-theory and type II string theories on both sides are compared giving evidence in favor of these duality conjectures. We also comment on a connection between the Dasgupta-Mukhi-Witten conjecture and the Dabholkar-Park-Sen conjecture for the six-dimensional orbifold models of type IIB string theory and M-theory. (orig.)

  7. String field theory. Algebraic structure, deformation properties and superstrings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muenster, Korbinian

    2013-01-01

    This thesis discusses several aspects of string field theory. The first issue is bosonic open-closed string field theory and its associated algebraic structure - the quantum open-closed homotopy algebra. We describe the quantum open-closed homotopy algebra in the framework of homotopy involutive Lie bialgebras, as a morphism from the loop homotopy Lie algebra of closed string to the involutive Lie bialgebra on the Hochschild complex of open strings. The formulation of the classical/quantum open-closed homotopy algebra in terms of a morphism from the closed string algebra to the open string Hochschild complex reveals deformation properties of closed strings on open string field theory. In particular, we show that inequivalent classical open string field theories are parametrized by closed string backgrounds up to gauge transformations. At the quantum level the correspondence is obstructed, but for other realizations such as the topological string, a non-trivial correspondence persists. Furthermore, we proof the decomposition theorem for the loop homotopy Lie algebra of closed string field theory, which implies uniqueness of closed string field theory on a fixed conformal background. Second, the construction of string field theory can be rephrased in terms of operads. In particular, we show that the formulation of string field theory splits into two parts: The first part is based solely on the moduli space of world sheets and ensures that the perturbative string amplitudes are recovered via Feynman rules. The second part requires a choice of background and determines the real string field theory vertices. Each of these parts can be described equivalently as a morphism between appropriate cyclic and modular operads, at the classical and quantum level respectively. The algebraic structure of string field theory is then encoded in the composition of these two morphisms. Finally, we outline the construction of type II superstring field theory. Specific features of the

  8. Non-relativistic fermions, coadjoint orbits of W∞ and string field theory at c=1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dhar, A.; Mandal, G.; Wadia, S.R.

    1992-01-01

    In this paper, the authors apply the method of coadjoint orbits of W ∞ -algebra to the problem of non-relativistic fermions in one dimension. This leads to a geometric formulation of the quantum theory in terms of the quantum phase space distribution of the Fermi fluid. The action has an infinite series of expansion in the string coupling, which to leading order reduces to the previously discussed geometric action for the classical Fermi fluid based on the group w ∞ of area-preserving diffeomorphisms. The authors briefly discuss the strong coupling limit of the string theory which, unlike the weak coupling regime, does not seem to admit a two-dimensional space-time picture. The authors' methods are equally applicable to interacting fermions in one dimension

  9. Large N field theories, string theory and gravity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maldacena, J [Lyman Laboratory of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge (United States)

    2002-05-15

    We describe the holographic correspondence between field theories and string/M theory, focusing on the relation between compactifications of string/ M theory on Anti-de Sitter spaces and conformal field theories. We review the background for this correspondence and discuss its motivations and the evidence for its correctness. We describe the main results that have been derived from the correspondence in the regime that the field theory is approximated by classical or semiclassical gravity. We focus on the case of the N = 4 supersymmetric gauge theory in four dimensions. These lecture notes are based on the Review written by O. Aharony, S. Gubser, J. Maldacena, H. Ooguri and Y. Oz. (author)

  10. Closed Strings From Nothing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lawrence, Albion

    2001-07-25

    We study the physics of open strings in bosonic and type II string theories in the presence of unstable D-branes. When the potential energy of the open string tachyon is at its minimum, Sen has argued that only closed strings remain in the perturbative spectrum. We explore the scenario of Yi and of Bergman, Hori and Yi, who argue that the open string degrees of freedom are strongly coupled and disappear through confinement. We discuss arguments using open string field theory and worldsheet boundary RG flows, which seem to indicate otherwise. We then describe a solitonic excitation of the open string tachyon and gauge field with the charge and tension of a fundamental closed string. This requires a double scaling limit where the tachyon is taken to its minimal value and the electric field is taken to its maximum value. The resulting flux tube has an unconstrained spatial profile; and for large fundamental string charge, it appears to have light, weakly coupled open strings living in the core. We argue that the flux tube acquires a size or order {alpha}' through sigma model and string coupling effects; and we argue that confinement effects make the light degrees of freedom heavy and strongly interacting.

  11. Closed Strings From Nothing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawrence, Albion

    2001-01-01

    We study the physics of open strings in bosonic and type II string theories in the presence of unstable D-branes. When the potential energy of the open string tachyon is at its minimum, Sen has argued that only closed strings remain in the perturbative spectrum. We explore the scenario of Yi and of Bergman, Hori and Yi, who argue that the open string degrees of freedom are strongly coupled and disappear through confinement. We discuss arguments using open string field theory and worldsheet boundary RG flows, which seem to indicate otherwise. We then describe a solitonic excitation of the open string tachyon and gauge field with the charge and tension of a fundamental closed string. This requires a double scaling limit where the tachyon is taken to its minimal value and the electric field is taken to its maximum value. The resulting flux tube has an unconstrained spatial profile; and for large fundamental string charge, it appears to have light, weakly coupled open strings living in the core. We argue that the flux tube acquires a size or order α' through sigma model and string coupling effects; and we argue that confinement effects make the light degrees of freedom heavy and strongly interacting

  12. String Theory for Pedestrians (1/3)

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2009-01-01

    This is a non-technical rapid course on string theory. Lecture 1 is an introduction to the basics of the subject: classical and quantum strings, D(irichlet) branes and string-string dualities. In lecture 2 I will discuss string unification of the fundamental forces, covering both its successes and failures. Finally in lecture 3 I will review string models of black hole microstates, the holographic gauge/gravity duality and, if time permits, potential applications to the physics of the strong interactions.

  13. String Theory for Pedestrians (2/3)

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2009-01-01

    This is a non-technical rapid course on string theory. Lecture 1 is an introduction to the basics of the subject: classical and quantum strings, D(irichlet) branes and string-string dualities. In lecture 2 I will discuss string unification of the fundamental forces, covering both its successes and failures. Finally in lecture 3 I will review string models of black hole microstates, the holographic gauge/gravity duality and, if time permits, potential applications to the physics of the strong interactions.

  14. String Theory for Pedestrians (3/3)

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2009-01-01

    This is a non-technical rapid course on string theory. Lecture 1 is an introduction to the basics of the subject: classical and quantum strings, D(irichlet) branes and string-string dualities. In lecture 2 I will discuss string unification of the fundamental forces, covering both its successes and failures. Finally in lecture 3 I will review string models of black hole microstates, the holographic gauge/gravity duality and, if time permits, potential applications to the physics of the strong interactions.

  15. Quantum background independence in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Witten, E.

    1994-01-01

    Not only in physical string theories, but also in some highly simplified situations, background independence has been difficult to understand. It is argued that the ''holomorphic anomaly'' of Bershadsky, Cecotti, Ooguri and Vafa gives a fundamental explanation of some of the problems. Moreover, their anomaly equation can be interpreted in terms of a rather peculiar quantum version of background independence: in systems afflicted by the anomaly, background independence does not hold order by order in perturbation theory, but the exact partition function as a function of the coupling constants has a background independent interpretation as a state in an auxiliary quantum Hilbert space. The significance of this auxiliary space is otherwise unknown. (author). 23 refs

  16. σ-models and string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Randjbar-Daemi, S.

    1987-01-01

    The propagation of closed bosonic strings interacting with background gravitational and dilaton fields is reviewed. The string is treated as a quantum field theory on a compact 2-dimensional manifold. The question is posed as to how the conditions for the vanishing trace anomaly and the ensuing background field equations may depend on global features of the manifold. It is shown that to the leading order in σ-model perturbation theory the string loop effects do not modify the gravitational and the dilaton field equations. However for the purely bosonic strings new terms involving the modular parameter of the world sheet are induced by quantum effects which can be absorbed into a re-definition of the background fields. The authors also discuss some aspects of several regularization schemes such as dimensional, Pauli-Villars and the proper-time cut off in an appendix

  17. Cosmological solutions in string theory with dilaton self interaction potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mora, C.; Pimentel, L.O.

    2003-01-01

    In this work we present homogeneous and isotropic cosmological solutions for the low energy limit of string theory with a self interacting potential for the scalar field. For a potential that is a linear combination of two exponential, a family of exact solutions are found for the different spatial curvatures. Among this family a non singular accelerating solution for positive curvature is singled out and the violation of the energy conditions for that solution is studied, and also its astrophysical consequences. The string coupling for this solution is finite. (Author)

  18. On noncommutative open string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russo, J.G.; Sheikh-Jabbari, M.M.

    2000-08-01

    We investigate new compactifications of OM theory giving rise to a 3+1 dimensional open string theory with noncommutative x 0 -x 1 and x 2 -x 3 coordinates. The theory can be directly obtained by starting with a D3 brane with parallel (near critical) electric and magnetic field components, in the presence of a RR scalar field. The magnetic parameter permits to interpolate continuously between the x 0 -x 1 noncommutative open string theory and the x 2 -x 3 spatial noncommutative U(N) super Yang-Mills theory. We discuss SL(2, Z) transformations of this theory. Using the supergravity description of the large N limit, we also compute corrections to the quark-antiquark Coulomb potential arising in the NCOS theory. (author)

  19. Noncompact symmetries in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maharana, J.; Schwarz, J.H.

    1993-01-01

    Noncompact groups, similar to those that appeared in various supergravity theories in the 1970's have been turning up in recent studies of string theory. First it was discovered that moduli spaces of toroidal compactification are given by noncompact groups modded out by their maximal compact subgroups and discrete duality groups. Then it was found that many other moduli spaces have analogous descriptions. More recently, noncompact group symmetries have turned up in effective actions used to study string cosmology and other classical configurations. This paper explores these noncompact groups in the case of toroidal compactification both from the viewpoint of low-energy effective field theory, using the method of dimensional reduction, and from the viewpoint of the string theory world-sheet. The conclusion is that all these symmetries are intimately related. In particular, we find that Chern-Simons terms in the three-form field strength H μνρ play a crucial role. (orig.)

  20. Calabi-Yau compactifications of non-supersymmetric heterotic string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blaszczyk, Michael; Groot Nibbelink, Stefan

    2015-07-01

    Phenomenological explorations of heterotic strings have conventionally focused primarily on the E 8 x E 8 theory. We consider smooth compactifications of all three ten-dimensional heterotic theories to exhibit the many similarities between the non-supersymmetric SO(16) x SO(16) theory and the related supersymmetric E 8 x E 8 and SO(32) theories. In particular, we exploit these similarities to determine the bosonic and fermionic spectra of Calabi-Yau compactifications with line bundles of the nonsupersymmetric string. We use elements of four-dimensional supersymmetric effective field theory to characterize the non-supersymmetric action at leading order and determine the Green-Schwarz induced axion-couplings. Using these methods we construct a non-supersymmetric Standard Model(SM)-like theory. In addition, we show that it is possible to obtain SM-like models from the standard embedding using at least an order four Wilson line. Finally, we make a proposal of the states that live on five branes in the SO(16) x SO(16) theory and find under certain assumptions the surprising result that anomaly factorization only admits at most a single brane solution.

  1. Non-renormalisation theorems in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vanhove, P.

    2007-10-01

    In this thesis we describe various non renormalisation theorems for the string effective action. These results are derived in the context of the M theory conjecture allowing to connect the four gravitons string theory S matrix elements with that of eleven dimensional supergravity. These theorems imply that N = 8 supergravity theory has the same UV behaviour as the N = 4 supersymmetric Yang Mills theory at least up to three loops, and could be UV finite in four dimensions. (author)

  2. E(lementary) Strings in Six-Dimensional Heterotic F-Theory

    OpenAIRE

    Choi, Kang-Sin; Rey, Soo-Jong

    2017-01-01

    Using E-strings, we can analyze not only six-dimensional superconformal field theories but also probe vacua of non-perturabative heterotic string. We study strings made of D3-branes wrapped on various two-cycles in the global F-theory setup. We claim that E-strings are elementary in the sense that various combinations of E-strings can form M-strings as well as heterotic strings and new kind of strings, called G-strings. Using them, we show that emissions and combinations of heterotic small in...

  3. Physics is in trouble, the string theory has failed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smolin, L.

    2007-01-01

    The popularity of the string theory is based on its claim to explain both the very big and the very small: gravity and elementary particles. The string theory assumes that the real world contains dimensions that have not yet been observed and that any elementary particle is a vibration of a unique entity called string that obeys simple and elegant laws. Most theoretical physicists and mathematicians have focused their attention on this theory for the last 25 years and the diagnosis is clear: string theory fails to cope with the standard model and to explain the existence of dark matter or the mass of neutrinos. The string theory is hailed for its beauty or elegancy but this theory has never been backed by experimental data. While science has made significant progress in numerous domains, particle physics seems to have reached a dead-end. It is high time we officially questioned the string theory and opened the gate for alternative theories. (A.C.)

  4. A non-supersymmetric open-string theory and S-duality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergman, O.; Gaberdiel, M.R.

    1997-01-01

    A non-supersymmetric ten-dimensional open-string theory is constructed as an orbifold of type I string theory, and as an orientifold of the bosonic type B theory. It is purely bosonic, and cancellation of massless tadpoles requires the gauge group to be SO(32) x SO(32). The spectrum of the theory contains a closed-string tachyon, and open-string tachyons in the (32,32) multiplet. The D-branes of this theory are analyzed, and it is found that the massless excitations of one of the 1-branes coincide with the world-sheet degrees of freedom of the D=26 bosonic string theory compactified on the SO(32) lattice. This suggests that the two theories are related by S-duality. (orig.)

  5. The tension as perturbative parameter in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gamboa, J.

    1990-01-01

    We propose an approach to string theory where the zero theory is the null string. We find an explicit form of the propagator for the null string in the momentum space. We show that considering the tension as perturbative parameter, the perturbative series is completely summable and we find the propagator of the bosonic open string with tension T. (author) [pt

  6. Calculations in perturbative string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thorn, C.B.

    1987-01-01

    The author discusses methods for evaluating the Feynman diagrams of string field theory, with particular emphasis on Witten's version of open string field theory. It is explained in some detail how the rules states by Giddings and Martinec for relating a given diagram to a Polyakov path integral emerge from the Feynman rules

  7. A brief history of string theory. From dual models to M-theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rickles, Dean

    2014-01-01

    First monograph devoted to the history of superstring theory. Objective presentation of a controversial area of physics enabling readers to see through the divisive hype and hysteria forming the 'String Wars'. Interweaves conceptual issues with the wider historical development. Reveals string theory's historically close connections with other areas of physics. Self-contained approach brings string theory within the grasp of non-specialists. During its forty year lifespan, string theory has always had the power to divide, being called both a 'theory of everything' and a 'theory of nothing'. Critics have even questioned whether it qualifies as a scientific theory at all. This book adopts an objective stance, standing back from the question of the truth or falsity of string theory and instead focusing on how it came to be and how it came to occupy its present position in physics. An unexpectedly rich history is revealed, with deep connections to our most well-established physical theories. Fully self-contained and written in a lively fashion, the book will appeal to a wide variety of readers from novice to specialist.

  8. String Theory: Big Problem for Small Size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahoo, S.

    2009-01-01

    String theory is the most promising candidate theory for a unified description of all the fundamental forces that exist in nature. It provides a mathematical framework that combines quantum theory with Einstein's general theory of relativity. The typical size of a string is of the order of 10[superscript -33] cm, called the Planck length. But due…

  9. Supersymmetric gauge theories from string theory; Theorie de jauge supersymetrique de la theorie des cordes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Metzger, St

    2005-12-15

    This thesis presents various ways to construct four-dimensional quantum field theories from string theory. In a first part we study the generation of a supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, coupled to an adjoint chiral superfield, from type IIB string theory on non-compact Calabi-Yau manifolds, with D-branes wrapping certain sub-cycles. Properties of the gauge theory are then mapped to the geometric structure of the Calabi-Yau space. Even if the Calabi-Yau geometry is too complicated to evaluate the geometric integrals explicitly, one can then always use matrix model perturbation theory to calculate the effective superpotential. The second part of this work covers the generation of four-dimensional super-symmetric gauge theories, carrying several important characteristic features of the standard model, from compactifications of eleven-dimensional supergravity on G{sub 2}-manifolds. If the latter contain conical singularities, chiral fermions are present in the four-dimensional gauge theory, which potentially lead to anomalies. We show that, locally at each singularity, these anomalies are cancelled by the non-invariance of the classical action through a mechanism called 'anomaly inflow'. Unfortunately, no explicit metric of a compact G{sub 2}-manifold is known. Here we construct families of metrics on compact weak G{sub 2}-manifolds, which contain two conical singularities. Weak G{sub 2}-manifolds have properties that are similar to the ones of proper G{sub 2}-manifolds, and hence the explicit examples might be useful to better understand the generic situation. Finally, we reconsider the relation between eleven-dimensional supergravity and the E{sub 8} x E{sub 8}-heterotic string. This is done by carefully studying the anomalies that appear if the supergravity theory is formulated on a ten-manifold times the interval. Again we find that the anomalies cancel locally at the boundaries of the interval through anomaly inflow, provided one suitably modifies the

  10. New twistor string theories revisited

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broedel, Johannes; Wurm, Bernhard

    2009-01-01

    A gauged version of Berkovits twistor string theory featuring the particle content of N=8 supergravity was suggested by Abou-Zeid, Hull and Mason. The equations of motion for a particular multiplet in the modified theory are examined on the level of basic twistor fields and thereby shown to imply the vanishing of the negative helicity graviton on-shell. Additionally, the restrictions emerging from the equation of motion for the new gauge field B-bar reveal the chiral nature of interactions in theories constructed in this manner. Moreover, a particular amplitude in Berkovits open string theory is shown to be in agreement with the corresponding result in Einstein gravity.

  11. Nonassociativity, Malcev algebras and string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guenaydin, M.; Minic, D.

    2013-01-01

    Nonassociative structures have appeared in the study of D-branes in curved backgrounds. In recent work, string theory backgrounds involving three-form fluxes, where such structures show up, have been studied in more detail. We point out that under certain assumptions these nonassociative structures coincide with nonassociative Malcev algebras which had appeared in the quantum mechanics of systems with non-vanishing three-cocycles, such as a point particle moving in the field of a magnetic charge. We generalize the corresponding Malcev algebras to include electric as well as magnetic charges. These structures find their classical counterpart in the theory of Poisson-Malcev algebras and their generalizations. We also study their connection to Stueckelberg's generalized Poisson brackets that do not obey the Jacobi identity and point out that nonassociative string theory with a fundamental length corresponds to a realization of his goal to find a non-linear extension of quantum mechanics with a fundamental length. Similar nonassociative structures are also known to appear in the cubic formulation of closed string field theory in terms of open string fields, leading us to conjecture a natural string-field theoretic generalization of the AdS/CFT-like (holographic) duality. (Copyright copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  12. Notes on entanglement entropy in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, Song; Numasawa, Tokiro; Takayanagi, Tadashi; Watanabe, Kento

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, we study the conical entropy in string theory in the simplest setup of dividing the nine dimensional space into two halves. This corresponds to the leading quantum correction to the horizon entropy in string theory on the Rindler space. This entropy is also called the conical entropy and includes surface term contributions. We first derive a new simple formula of the conical entropy for any free higher spin fields. Then we apply this formula to computations of conical entropy in open and closed superstring. In our analysis of closed string, we study the twisted conical entropy defined by making use of string theory on Melvin backgrounds. This quantity is easier to calculate owing to the folding trick. Our analysis shows that the conical entropy in closed superstring is UV finite owing to the string scale cutoff.

  13. Vortex-strings in N=2 SQCD and bulk-string decoupling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerchkovitz, Efrat; Karasik, Avner

    2018-02-01

    We study vortex-strings in four-dimensional N=2 supersymmetric SU( N c ) × U(1) gauge theories with N f hypermultiplets in the fundamental representation of SU( N c ) and general U(1) charges. If N f > N c , the vacuum is not gapped and the low-energy theory contains both the vacuum massless excitations and the string zero-modes. The question we address in this work is whether the vacuum and the string moduli decouple at low energies, allowing a description of the low-energy dynamics in terms of a two-dimensional theory on the string worldsheet. We find a simple condition controlling the bulk-string coupling: if there exist two flavors such that the product of their U(1) charge difference with the magnetic flux carried by the string configuration is not an integer multiple of 2 π, the string has zero-modes that decay slower than 1 /r, where r is the radial distance from the string core. These modes are coupled to the vacuum massless excitations even at low energies. If, however, all such products are integer multiples of 2 π, long-range modes of this type do not exist and the string moduli decouple from the bulk at low energies. This condition turns out to coincide with the condition of trivial Aharonov-Bohm phases for the particles in the spectrum. In addition to a derivation of the bulk-string decoupling criterion using classical analysis of the string zero-modes, we provide a non-perturbative derivation of the criterion, which uses supersymmetric localization techniques.

  14. Gauge coupling unification in heterotic string models with gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anandakrishnan, Archana; Raby, Stuart

    2011-01-01

    We calculate the weak scale minimal supersymmetric standard model spectrum starting from a heterotic string theory compactified on an anisotropic orbifold. Supersymmetry breaking is mediated by vectorlike exotics that arise naturally in heterotic string theories. The messengers that mediate supersymmetry breaking come in incomplete grand unified theory (GUT) multiplets and give rise to nonuniversal gaugino masses at the GUT scale. Models with nonuniversal gaugino masses at the GUT scale have the attractive feature of allowing for precision gauge coupling unification at the GUT scale with negligible contributions from threshold corrections near the unification scale. The unique features of this minimally supersymmetric standard model spectrum are light gluinos and also large mass differences between the lightest and the next-to-lightest neutralinos and charginos which could lead to interesting signatures at the colliders.

  15. Fayet-Iliopoulos D terms in string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sen, A.

    1987-06-01

    One loop scalar masses induced by Fayet-Ilipoulos D terms in string theory are calculated directly in the heterotic string theory for an arbitrary compactification which preserves space-time supersymmetry at the string tree level. The result is shown to be a total derivative in the moduli space of a torus with two punctures, and hence receives contribution only from the boundary of this moduli space.

  16. Fayet-Iliopoulos D terms in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sen, A.

    1987-06-01

    One loop scalar masses induced by Fayet-Ilipoulos D terms in string theory are calculated directly in the heterotic string theory for an arbitrary compactification which preserves space-time supersymmetry at the string tree level. The result is shown to be a total derivative in the moduli space of a torus with two punctures, and hence receives contribution only from the boundary of this moduli space

  17. Correlators of Ramond-Neveu-Schwarz fields in string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haertl, Daniel

    2011-07-15

    loop order. To complement the discussion we calculate the tree-level amplitude of two gauge fields and four gauginos for string compactifications to four dimensions and give its field theory limit. This open string amplitude is of particular interest because it can be related to an open-closed amplitude involving gauge fields and bulk moduli. In this way the mapping between the open and the open-closed sector can be studied in great detail and brane-bulk couplings can be determined in terms of open string couplings. (orig.)

  18. Correlators of Ramond-Neveu-Schwarz fields in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haertl, Daniel

    2011-01-01

    order. To complement the discussion we calculate the tree-level amplitude of two gauge fields and four gauginos for string compactifications to four dimensions and give its field theory limit. This open string amplitude is of particular interest because it can be related to an open-closed amplitude involving gauge fields and bulk moduli. In this way the mapping between the open and the open-closed sector can be studied in great detail and brane-bulk couplings can be determined in terms of open string couplings. (orig.)

  19. String Theory Rocks!

    CERN Multimedia

    2008-01-01

    String Theory supporters argue that the universe we live in has eleven dimensions, out of which three spacial dimensions and a temporal one, which define the void and the space-time environment we experience daily.

  20. A string theory which isn't about strings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kanghoon; Rey, Soo-Jong; Rosabal, J. A.

    2017-11-01

    Quantization of closed string proceeds with a suitable choice of worldsheet vacuum. A priori, the vacuum may be chosen independently for left-moving and right-moving sectors. We construct ab initio quantized bosonic string theory with left-right asymmetric worldsheet vacuum and explore its consequences and implications. We critically examine the validity of new vacuum and carry out first-quantization using standard operator formalism. Remarkably, the string spectrum consists only of a finite number of degrees of freedom: string gravity (massless spin-two, Kalb-Ramond and dilaton fields) and two massive spin-two Fierz-Pauli fields. The massive spin-two fields have negative norm, opposite mass-squared, and provides a Lee-Wick type extension of string gravity. We compute two physical observables: tree-level scattering amplitudes and one-loop cosmological constant. Scattering amplitude of four dilatons is shown to be a rational function of kinematic invariants, and in D = 26 factorizes into contributions of massless spin-two and a pair of massive spin-two fields. The string one loop partition function is shown to perfectly agree with one loop Feynman diagram of string gravity and two massive spin-two fields. In particular, it does not exhibit modular invariance. We critically compare our construction with recent studies and contrast differences.

  1. Triality in little string theories

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bastian, Brice; Hohenegger, Stefan; Iqbal, Amer; Rey, Soo-Jong

    2018-02-01

    We study a class of eight-supercharge little string theories (LSTs) on the world volume of N M5-branes with transverse space S1×(C2/ZM). These M-brane configurations compactified on a circle are dual to M D5-branes intersecting N NS5-branes on T2×R7 ,1 as well as to F-theory compactified on a toric Calabi-Yau threefold XN ,M. We argue that the Kähler cone of XN ,M admits three regions associated with weakly coupled quiver gauge theories of gauge groups [U (N )]M,[U (M )]N, and [U (N/M k )]k where k =gcd (N ,M ). These provide low-energy descriptions of different LSTs. The duality between the first two gauge theories is well known and is a consequence of the S-duality between D5- and NS5-branes or the T-duality of the LSTs. The triality involving the third gauge theory is new, and we demonstrate it using several examples. We also discuss implications of this triality for the W-algebras associated with the Alday-Gaiotto-Tachikawa dual theories.

  2. String theory, supersymmetry, unification, and all that

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwarz, J.H.; Seiberg, N.

    1999-01-01

    String theory and supersymmetry are theoretical ideas that go beyond the standard model of particle physics and show promise for unifying all forces. After a brief introduction to supersymmetry, the authors discuss the prospects for its experimental discovery in the near future. They then show how the magic of supersymmetry allows us to solve certain quantum field theories exactly, thus leading to new insights about field theory dynamics related to electric-magnetic duality. The discussion of superstring theory starts with its perturbation expansion, which exhibits new features including open-quotes stringy geometry.close quotes The authors then turn to more recent nonperturbative developments. Using new dualities, all known superstring theories are unified, and their strong-coupling behavior is clarified. A central ingredient is the existence of extended objects called branes. copyright 1999 The American Physical Society

  3. Exotic configurations for gauge theory strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yajnik, U.A.

    1987-01-01

    This paper discusses a class of string configurations occuring in nonabelian gauge theories, which are such that a component of the charged scalar field responsible for the string has a nonvanishing expectation value in the core of the string. A systematic procedure is given for setting up the ansatz for such configurations. (orig.)

  4. String theory of the Regge intercept.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hellerman, S; Swanson, I

    2015-03-20

    Using the Polchinski-Strominger effective string theory in the covariant gauge, we compute the mass of a rotating string in D dimensions with large angular momenta J, in one or two planes, in fixed ratio, up to and including first subleading order in the large J expansion. This constitutes a first-principles calculation of the value for the order-J(0) contribution to the mass squared of a meson on the leading Regge trajectory in planar QCD with bosonic quarks. For open strings with Neumann boundary conditions, and for closed strings in D≥5, the order-J(0) term in the mass squared is exactly calculated by the semiclassical approximation. This term in the expansion is universal and independent of the details of the theory, assuming only D-dimensional Poincaré invariance and the absence of other infinite-range excitations on the string world volume, beyond the Nambu-Goldstone bosons.

  5. Boundary operators in effective string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hellerman, Simeon [Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, The University of Tokyo,Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582 (Japan); Swanson, Ian [Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, The University of Tokyo,Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582 (Japan)

    2017-04-13

    Various universal features of relativistic rotating strings depend on the organization of allowed local operators on the worldsheet. In this paper, we study the set of Neumann boundary operators in effective string theory, which are relevant for the controlled study of open relativistic strings with freely moving endpoints. Relativistic open strings are thought to encode the dynamics of confined quark-antiquark pairs in gauge theories in the planar approximation. Neumann boundary operators can be organized by their behavior under scaling of the target space coordinates X{sup μ}, and the set of allowed X-scaling exponents is bounded above by +1/2 and unbounded below. Negative contributions to X-scalings come from powers of a single invariant, or “dressing' operator, which is bilinear in the embedding coordinates. In particular, we show that all Neumann boundary operators are dressed by quarter-integer powers of this invariant, and we demonstrate how this rule arises from various ways of regulating the short-distance singularities of the effective theory.

  6. A brief history of string theory. From dual models to M-theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rickles, Dean [Sydney Univ. (Australia). Unit for History and Philosophy of Science

    2014-04-01

    First monograph devoted to the history of superstring theory. Objective presentation of a controversial area of physics enabling readers to see through the divisive hype and hysteria forming the 'String Wars'. Interweaves conceptual issues with the wider historical development. Reveals string theory's historically close connections with other areas of physics. Self-contained approach brings string theory within the grasp of non-specialists. During its forty year lifespan, string theory has always had the power to divide, being called both a 'theory of everything' and a 'theory of nothing'. Critics have even questioned whether it qualifies as a scientific theory at all. This book adopts an objective stance, standing back from the question of the truth or falsity of string theory and instead focusing on how it came to be and how it came to occupy its present position in physics. An unexpectedly rich history is revealed, with deep connections to our most well-established physical theories. Fully self-contained and written in a lively fashion, the book will appeal to a wide variety of readers from novice to specialist.

  7. Dirac neutrinos and hybrid inflation from string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antusch, Stefan; Eyton-Williams, Oliver J.; King, Steve F.

    2005-01-01

    We consider a possible scenario for the generation of Dirac neutrino masses motivated by type-I string theory. The smallness of the neutrino Yukawa couplings is explained by an anisotropic compactification with one compactification radius larger than the others. In addition to this we utilise small Yukawa couplings to develop strong links between the origin of neutrino masses and the physics driving inflation. We construct a minimal model which simultaneously accommodates small Dirac neutrino masses leading to bi-large lepton mixing as well as an inflationary solution to the strong CP and to the μ problem

  8. Perturbation theory for quantized string fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thorn, C.B.; Florida Univ., Gainesville

    1987-01-01

    We discuss the problem of gauge fixing in string field theory. We show that BRST invariance requires the gauge-fixed action to contain terms cubic in the ghost... of ghost of ghost fields. The final BRST invariant gauge-fixed action for the gauge b 0 A=0 is extremely simple: with the proper interpretation (as given in this article), it is essentially the one anticipated earlier in the work of Giddings, Martinec, and Witten in their analysis of the BRST invariant world-sheet approach to string theory. We derive the Feynman rules from this action and explain in detail how the sum over sufaces of the BRST first-quantized string is reproduced. This result depends crucially on the correct assignment for the Grassmann character of the string field and its ghost... of ghost of ghost string fields. If all these fields are unified in a single string field Φ containing all ghost numbers, the requirements is that Φ be uniformly Grassmann odd. Finally, we do some sample calculations which provide some simple checks on our general results. (orig.)

  9. Dynamics of Strings in Noncommutative Gauge Theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gross, David J.; Nekrasov, Nikia A.

    2000-01-01

    We continue our study of solitons in noncommutative gauge theories and present an extremely simple BPS solution of N=4 U(1) noncommutative gauge theory in 4 dimensions, which describes N infinite D1 strings that pierce a D3 brane at various points, in the presence of a background B-field in the Seiberg-Witten limit. We call this solution the N-fluxon. For N=1 we calculate the complete spectrum of small fluctuations about the fluxon and find three kinds of modes: the fluctuations of the superstring in 10 dimensions arising from fundamental strings attached to the D1 strings, the ordinary particles of the gauge theory in 4 dimensions and a set of states with discrete spectrum, localized at the intersection point - corresponding to fundamental strings stretched between the D1 string and the D3 brane. We discuss the fluctuations about the N-fluxon as well and derive explicit expressions for the amplitudes of interactions between these various modes. We show that translations in noncommutative gauge theories are equivalent to gauge transformations (plus a constant shift of the gauge field) and discuss the implications for the translational zeromodes of our solitons. We also find the dyonic versions of N-fluxon, as well as of our previous string-monopole solution. (author)

  10. On the background independence of string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sen, A.

    1990-01-01

    Given a solution Ψ cl of the classical equations of motion in either closed or open string field theory formulated around a given conformal field theory background, we can construct a new operator Q B in the corresponding two-dimensional field theory such that (Q B ) 2 =0. It is shown that in the limit when the background field Ψ cl is weak, Q B can be identified with the BRST charge of a new local conformal field theory. This indicates that the string field theories formulated around these two different conformal field theories are actually the same theory, and that these two conformal field theories may be regarded as different classical solutions of this string field theory. (orig.)

  11. Comparing double string theory actions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Angelis, L.; Gionti, S.J.G.; Marotta, R.; Pezzella, F.

    2014-01-01

    Aimed to a deeper comprehension of a manifestly T-dual invariant formulation of string theory, in this paper a detailed comparison between the non-covariant action proposed by Tseytlin and the covariant one proposed by Hull is done. These are obtained by making both the string coordinates and their duals explicitly appear, on the same footing, in the world-sheet action, so “doubling” the string coordinates along the compact dimensions. After a discussion on the nature of the constraints in both the models and the relative quantization, it results that the string coordinates and their duals behave like “non-commuting” phase space coordinates but their expressions in terms of Fourier modes generate the oscillator algebra of the standard bosonic string. A proof of the equivalence of the two formulations is given. Furthermore, open-string solutions are also discussed

  12. Comparing double string theory actions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Angelis, L. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi “Federico II” di Napoli,Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo ed. 6, via Cintia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); Gionti, S.J.G. [Specola Vaticana, Vatican City, V-00120, Vatican City State and Vatican Observatory Research Group, Steward Observatory, The University Of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85721 (United States); Marotta, R.; Pezzella, F. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Napoli,Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo ed. 6, via Cintia, 80126 Napoli (Italy)

    2014-04-28

    Aimed to a deeper comprehension of a manifestly T-dual invariant formulation of string theory, in this paper a detailed comparison between the non-covariant action proposed by Tseytlin and the covariant one proposed by Hull is done. These are obtained by making both the string coordinates and their duals explicitly appear, on the same footing, in the world-sheet action, so “doubling” the string coordinates along the compact dimensions. After a discussion on the nature of the constraints in both the models and the relative quantization, it results that the string coordinates and their duals behave like “non-commuting” phase space coordinates but their expressions in terms of Fourier modes generate the oscillator algebra of the standard bosonic string. A proof of the equivalence of the two formulations is given. Furthermore, open-string solutions are also discussed.

  13. Tree-level stability without spacetime fermions: novel examples in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Israel, Dan; Niarchos, Vasilis

    2007-01-01

    Is perturbative stability intimately tied with the existence of spacetime fermions in string theory in more than two dimensions? Type 0'B string theory in ten-dimensional flat space is a rare example of a non-tachyonic, non-supersymmetric string theory with a purely bosonic closed string spectrum. However, all known type 0' constructions exhibit massless NSNS tadpoles signaling the fact that we are not expanding around a true vacuum of the theory. In this note, we are searching for perturbatively stable examples of type 0' string theory without massless tadpoles in backgrounds with a spatially varying dilaton. We present two examples with this property in non-critical string theories that exhibit four- and six-dimensional Poincare invariance. We discuss the D-branes that can be embedded in this context and the type of gauge theories that can be constructed in this manner. We also comment on the embedding of these non-critical models in critical string theories and their holographic (Little String Theory) interpretation and propose a general conjecture for the role of asymptotic supersymmetry in perturbative string theory

  14. Open and Closed String field theory interpreted in classical Algebraic Topology

    OpenAIRE

    Sullivan, Dennis

    2003-01-01

    There is an interpretation of open string field theory in algebraic topology. An interpretation of closed string field theory can be deduced from this open string theory to obtain as well the interpretation of open and closed string field theory combined.

  15. Hidden gravity in open-string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siegel, W.

    1994-01-01

    We clarify the nature of the graviton as a bound state in open-string field theory: The flat metric in the action appears as the vacuum value of an open string field. The bound state appears as a composite field in the free field theory

  16. Yang-Mills theory - a string theory in disguise

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foerster, D.

    1979-01-01

    An examination of the Schwinger-Dyson equations of U(N) lattice Yang-Mills theory shows that this theory is exactly equivalent to a theory of strings that interact with one another only through their topology. (Auth.)

  17. Chameleonic dilaton, nonequivalent frames, and the cosmological constant problem in quantum string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zanzi, Andrea

    2010-01-01

    The chameleonic behavior of the string theory dilaton is suggested. Some of the possible consequences of the chameleonic string dilaton are analyzed in detail. In particular, (1) we suggest a new stringy solution to the cosmological constant problem and (2) we point out the nonequivalence of different conformal frames at the quantum level. In order to obtain these results, we start taking into account the (strong coupling) string loop expansion in the string frame (S-frame), therefore the so-called form factors are present in the effective action. The correct dark energy scale is recovered in the Einstein frame (E-frame) without unnatural fine-tunings and this result is robust against all quantum corrections, granted that we assume a proper structure of the S-frame form factors in the strong coupling regime. At this stage, the possibility still exists that a certain amount of fine-tuning may be required to satisfy some phenomenological constraints. Moreover in the E-frame, in our proposal, all the interactions are switched off on cosmological length scales (i.e., the theory is IR-free), while higher derivative gravitational terms might be present locally (on short distances) and it remains to be seen whether these facts clash with phenomenology. A detailed phenomenological analysis is definitely necessary to clarify these points.

  18. A Chern-Simons-like action for closed-string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, C.C.

    1989-01-01

    A Chern-Simons-like action is proposed for closed-string field theory. The action involves auxiliary fields of arbitrary ghost number and is defined in terms of the closed-string operations ∫, Q and *, analogous to those introduced by Witten in the construction of open-string field theory. The action is an extension of one proposed for free closed strings and bears a formal relationship to 2 + 1 gravity analogous to that between open-string field theory and (2 + 1)-dimensional Yang-Mills theory. (author)

  19. Conformal symmetry and string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, A.

    1987-01-01

    This thesis is devoted to the study of various aspects of the 2-dimensional conformal field theory and its applications to strings. We make a short review of the conformal field theory and its supersymmetric extension, called superconformal field theory. We present an elegant superspace formulation of these theories and solve the condition for the closure of the superconformal algebra. The we go on to classify the superconformal field theories according to these solutions. We prove that N ≥ 5 superconformal algebra, with N being the number of supersymmetries, does not have central charge. We find the primary representations of all the interesting superconformal algebra. We study the quantization of the superconformal theories and derive the constraints on the central charge of the algebra that has to be satisfied for a consistent quantum theory. This quantization process also determines the ground state energy of the system and the spectrum of the model. We study the global aspects of the conformal symmetry and its role in the construction of consistent heterotic string theories. We prove the uniqueness of heterotic superstring theories in 10 dimensions in the fermionic constructions. We show how the vertex operators are closely associated with the primary field representation of the conformal algebra. We utilize these vertex operator constructions to obtain tree amplitudes in the 10-dimensional heterotic string theory. We show by explicit calculation at the 3-point level that the scattering amplitudes derived from the heterotic superstring are same as the ones obtained from 10-dimensional supergravity theories

  20. Open string theory in 1+1 dimensions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bershadsky, M.; Kutasov, D.

    1992-01-01

    We show that tree level open two dimensional string theory is exactly solvable; the solution exhibits some unusual features, and is qualitatively different from the closed case. The open string 'tachyon' S-matrix describes free fermions, which can be interpreted as the quarks at the ends of the string. These 'quarks' live naturally on a lattice in space-time. We also find an exact vacuum solution of the theory, corresponding to a charged black hole. (orig.)

  1. Holomorphic couplings in non-perturbative string compactifications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klevers, Denis Marco

    2011-06-01

    In this thesis we present an analysis of several aspects of four-dimensional, non-perturbative N = 1 compactifications of string theory. Our focus is on the study of brane dynamics and their effective physics as encoded in the holomorphic couplings of the low-energy N=1 effective action, most prominently the superpotential W. The thesis is divided into three parts. In part one we derive the effective action of a spacetime-filling D5-brane in generic Type IIB Calabi-Yau orientifold compactifications. In the second part we invoke tools from string dualities, namely from F-theory, heterotic/F-theory duality and mirror symmetry, for a more elaborate study of the dynamics of (p, q) 7-branes and heterotic five-branes. In this context we demonstrate exact computations of the complete perturbative effective superpotential, both due to branes and background fluxes. Finally, in the third part we present a novel geometric description of five-branes in Type IIB and heterotic M-theory Calabi-Yau compactifications via a non-Calabi-Yau threefold Z 3 , that is canonically constructed from the original five-brane and Calabi-Yau threefold Z 3 via a blow-up. We exploit the use of the blow-up threefold Z 3 as a tool to derive open-closed Picard-Fuchs differential equations, that govern the complete effective brane and flux superpotential. In addition, we present first evidence to interpret Z 3 as a flux compactification dual to the original five-brane by defining an SU(3)-structure on Z 3 , that is generated dynamically by the five-brane backreaction. (orig.)

  2. Nonlocal String Theories on AdS3 x S3 and Stable Non-Supersymmetric Backgrounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silverstein, Eva M

    2002-01-01

    We exhibit a simple class of exactly marginal ''double-trace'' deformations of two dimensional CFTs which have AdS 3 duals, in which the deformation is given by a product of left and right-moving U(1) currents. In this special case the deformation on AdS 3 is generated by a local boundary term in three dimensions, which changes the physics also in the bulk via bulk-boundary propagators. However, the deformation is non-local in six dimensions and on the string worldsheet, like generic non-local string theories (NLSTs). Due to the simplicity of the deformation we can explicitly make computations in the non-local string theory and compare them to CFT computations, and we obtain precise agreement. We discuss the effect of the deformation on closed strings and on D-branes. The examples we analyze include a supersymmetry-breaking but exactly marginal ''double-trace'' deformation, which is dual to a string theory in which no destabilizing tadpoles are generated for moduli nonperturbatively in all couplings, despite the absence of supersymmetry. We explain how this cancellation works on the gravity side in string perturbation theory, and also non-perturbatively at leading order in the deformation parameter. We also discuss possible flat space limits of our construction

  3. Introduction to string and superstring theory II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peskin, M.E.

    1987-03-01

    Conformal field theory is reviewed, then conformal invariance is used to rederive the basic results on the embedding dimensionality for bosonic and fermionic strings. The spectrum of the bosonic and the computation of scattering amplitudes are discussed. The formalism used is extended to clarify the origin of Yang-Mills gauge invariance in the open bosonic string theory. The question of the general-coordinate gauge invariance of string theory is addressed, presenting two disparate viewpoints on this question. A brief introduction is then given of the reduction from the idealized string theory in 10 extended dimensions to more realistic solutions in which all but 4 of these dimensions are compactified. The state of knowledge about the space-time supersymmetry of the superstring from the covariant viewpoint is outlined. An approach for identifying possible 6-dimensional spaces which might represent the form of the compact dimensions is discussed, and the orbifold scheme of compactification is presented. 77 refs., 18 figs

  4. Introduction to string and superstring theory II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peskin, M.E.

    1987-03-01

    Conformal field theory is reviewed, then conformal invariance is used to rederive the basic results on the embedding dimensionality for bosonic and fermionic strings. The spectrum of the bosonic and the computation of scattering amplitudes are discussed. The formalism used is extended to clarify the origin of Yang-Mills gauge invariance in the open bosonic string theory. The question of the general-coordinate gauge invariance of string theory is addressed, presenting two disparate viewpoints on this question. A brief introduction is then given of the reduction from the idealized string theory in 10 extended dimensions to more realistic solutions in which all but 4 of these dimensions are compactified. The state of knowledge about the space-time supersymmetry of the superstring from the covariant viewpoint is outlined. An approach for identifying possible 6-dimensional spaces which might represent the form of the compact dimensions is discussed, and the orbifold scheme of compactification is presented. 77 refs., 18 figs. (LEW)

  5. General relativity invariance and string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aref'eva, I.Ya.; Volovich, I.V.

    1987-04-01

    The general covariance principle in the string field theory is considered. The algebraic properties of the string Lie derivative are discussed. The string vielbein and spin connection are introduced and an action invariant under general co-ordinate transformation is proposed. (author). 18 refs

  6. Interaction vertices in reduced string field theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Embacher, F.

    1989-01-01

    In contrast to previous expectations, covariant overlap vertices are not always suitable for gauge-covariant formulations of bosonic string field theory with a reduced supplementary field content. This is demonstrated for the version of the theory suggested by Neveu, Schwarz and West. The method to construct the interaction, as formulated by Neveu and West, fails at one level higher than these authors have considered. The condition for a general vertex to describe formally a local gauge-invariant interaction is derived. The solution for the action functional and the gauge transformation law is exhibited for all fields at once, to the first order in the coupling constant. However, all these vertices seem to be unphysical. 21 refs. (Author)

  7. Conformal field theory and its application to strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verlinde, E.P.

    1988-01-01

    Conformal field theories on Riemann surfaces are considered and the result is applied to study the loop amplitudes for bosonic strings. It is shown that there is a close resemblance between the loop amplitudes for φ 3 -theory and the expressions for string multi-loop amplitudes. The similarity between φ 3 -amplitudes in curved backgrounds and the analytic structure of string amplitudes in backgrounds described by conformal field theories is also pointed out. 60 refs.; 5 figs.; 200 schemes

  8. Covariant amplitudes in Polyakov string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aoyama, H.; Dhar, A.; Namazie, M.A.

    1986-01-01

    A manifestly Lorentz-covariant and reparametrization-invariant procedure for computing string amplitudes using Polyakov's formulation is described. Both bosonic and superstring theories are dealt with. The computation of string amplitudes is greatly facilitated by this formalism. (orig.)

  9. Discrete field theories and spatial properties of strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klebanov, I.; Susskind, L.

    1988-10-01

    We use the ground-state wave function in the light-cone gauge to study the spatial properties of fundamental strings. We find that, as the cut-off in the parameter space is removed, the strings are smooth and have a divergent size. Guided by these properties, we consider a large-N lattice gauge theory which has an unstable phase where the size of strings diverges. We show that this phase exactly describes free fundamental strings. The lattice spacing does not have to be taken to zero for this equivalence to hold. Thus, exact rotation and translation invariance is restored in a discrete space. This suggests that the number of fundamental short-distance degrees of freedom in string theory is much smaller than in a conventional field theory. 11 refs., 4 figs

  10. String creation, D-branes and effective field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hung Lingyan

    2008-01-01

    This paper addresses several unsettled issues associated with string creation in systems of orthogonal Dp-D(8-p) branes. The interaction between the branes can be understood either from the closed string or open string picture. In the closed string picture it has been noted that the DBI action fails to capture an extra RR exchange between the branes. We demonstrate how this problem persists upon lifting to M-theory. These D-brane systems are analysed in the closed string picture by using gauge-fixed boundary states in a non-standard lightcone gauge, in which RR exchange can be analysed precisely. The missing piece in the DBI action also manifests itself in the open string picture as a mismatch between the Coleman-Weinberg potential obtained from the effective field theory and the corresponding open string calculation. We show that this difference can be reconciled by taking into account the superghosts in the (0+1) effective theory of the chiral fermion, that arises from gauge fixing the spontaneously broken world-line local supersymmetries

  11. An exact bosonization rule for c = 1 noncritical string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishibashi, Nobuyuki; Yamaguchi, Atsushi

    2007-01-01

    We construct a string field theory for c = 1 noncritical strings using the loop variables as the string field. We show how one can express the nonrelativistic free fermions which describes the theory, in terms of these string fields

  12. A matrix model from string field theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Syoji Zeze

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available We demonstrate that a Hermitian matrix model can be derived from level truncated open string field theory with Chan-Paton factors. The Hermitian matrix is coupled with a scalar and U(N vectors which are responsible for the D-brane at the tachyon vacuum. Effective potential for the scalar is evaluated both for finite and large N. Increase of potential height is observed in both cases. The large $N$ matrix integral is identified with a system of N ZZ branes and a ghost FZZT brane.

  13. Kac-Moody algebras and string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cleaver, G.B.

    1993-01-01

    The focus of this thesis is on (1) the role of Kac-Moody algebras in string theory and the development of techniques for systematically building string theory models based on a higher level (K ≥ 2) KM algebras and (2) fractional superstrings, a new class of solutions based on SU(2) K /U(1) conformal field theories. The content of this thesis is as follows. In chapter two they review KM algebras and their role in string theory. In the next chapter they present two results concerning the construction of modular invariant partition functions for conformal field theories build by tensoring together other conformal field theories. First they show how the possible modular invariants for the tensor product theory are constrained if the allowed modular invariants of the individuals conformal field theory factors have been classified. They illustrate the use of these constraints for theories of the type SU(2) KA direct-product SU(2) KB , finding all consistent theories for K A and K B odd. Second they show how known diagonal modular invariants can be used to construct inherently asymmetric invariants where the holomorphic and anti-holomorphic theories do not share the same chiral algebra. Explicit examples are given. Next, in chapter four they investigate some issues relating to recently proposed fractional superstring theories with D critical K/4 K/4 , as source of spacetime fermions, is demonstrated

  14. Classical open-string field theory: A∞-algebra, renormalization group and boundary states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakatsu, Toshio

    2002-01-01

    We investigate classical bosonic open-string field theory from the perspective of the Wilson renormalization group of world-sheet theory. The microscopic action is identified with Witten's covariant cubic action and the short-distance cut-off scale is introduced by length of open-string strip which appears in the Schwinger representation of open-string propagator. Classical open-string field theory in the title means open-string field theory governed by a classical part of the low energy action. It is obtained by integrating out suitable tree interactions of open-strings and is of non-polynomial type. We study this theory by using the BV formalism. It turns out to be deeply related with deformation theory of A ∞ -algebra. We introduce renormalization group equation of this theory and discuss it from several aspects. It is also discussed that this theory is interpreted as a boundary open-string field theory. Closed-string BRST charge and boundary states of closed-string field theory in the presence of open-string field play important roles

  15. On low rank classical groups in string theory, gauge theory and matrix models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Intriligator, Ken; Kraus, Per; Ryzhov, Anton V.; Shigemori, Masaki; Vafa, Cumrun

    2004-01-01

    We consider N=1 supersymmetric U(N), SO(N), and Sp(N) gauge theories, with two-index tensor matter and added tree-level superpotential, for general breaking patterns of the gauge group. By considering the string theory realization and geometric transitions, we clarify when glueball superfields should be included and extremized, or rather set to zero; this issue arises for unbroken group factors of low rank. The string theory results, which are equivalent to those of the matrix model, refer to a particular UV completion of the gauge theory, which could differ from conventional gauge theory results by residual instanton effects. Often, however, these effects exhibit miraculous cancellations, and the string theory or matrix model results end up agreeing with standard gauge theory. In particular, these string theory considerations explain and remove some apparent discrepancies between gauge theories and matrix models in the literature

  16. MHV, CSW and BCFW: field theory structures in string theory amplitudes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boels, Rutger; Larsen, Kasper Jens; Obers, Niels A.; Vonk, Marcel

    2008-01-01

    Motivated by recent progress in calculating field theory amplitudes, we study applications of the basic ideas in these developments to the calculation of amplitudes in string theory. We consider in particular both non-Abelian and Abelian open superstring disk amplitudes in a flat space background, focusing mainly on the four-dimensional case. The basic field theory ideas under consideration split into three separate categories. In the first, we argue that the calculation of α'-corrections to MHV open string disk amplitudes reduces to the determination of certain classes of polynomials. This line of reasoning is then used to determine the α' 3 -correction to the MHV amplitude for all multiplicities. A second line of attack concerns the existence of an analog of CSW rules derived from the Abelian Dirac-Born-Infeld action in four dimensions. We show explicitly that the CSW-like perturbation series of this action is surprisingly trivial: only helicity conserving amplitudes are non-zero. Last but not least, we initiate the study of BCFW on-shell recursion relations in string theory. These should appear very naturally as the UV properties of the string theory are excellent. We show that all open four-point string amplitudes in a flat background at the disk level obey BCFW recursion relations. Based on the naturalness of the proof and some explicit results for the five-point gluon amplitude, it is expected that this pattern persists for all higher point amplitudes and for the closed string.

  17. Cosmic strings in a braneworld theory with metastable gravitons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lue, Arthur

    2002-01-01

    If the graviton possesses an arbitrarily small (but nonvanishing) mass, perturbation theory implies that cosmic strings have a nonzero Newtonian potential. Nevertheless in Einstein gravity, where the graviton is strictly massless, the Newtonian potential of a cosmic string vanishes. This discrepancy is an example of the van Dam-Veltman-Zakharov (VDVZ) discontinuity. We present a solution for the metric around a cosmic string in a braneworld theory with a graviton metastable on the brane. This theory possesses those features that yield a VDVZ discontinuity in massive gravity, but nevertheless is generally covariant and classically self-consistent. Although the cosmic string in this theory supports a nontrivial Newtonian potential far from the source, one can recover the Einstein solution in a region near the cosmic string. That latter region grows as the graviton's effective linewidth vanishes (analogous to a vanishing graviton mass), suggesting the lack of a VDVZ discontinuity in this theory. Moreover, the presence of scale dependent structure in the metric may have consequences for the search for cosmic strings through gravitational lensing techniques

  18. Effective string theory and QCD scattering amplitudes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makeenko, Yuri

    2011-01-01

    QCD string is formed at distances larger than the confinement scale and can be described by the Polchinski-Strominger effective string theory with a nonpolynomial action, which has nevertheless a well-defined semiclassical expansion around a long-string ground state. We utilize modern ideas about the Wilson-loop/scattering-amplitude duality to calculate scattering amplitudes and show that the expansion parameter in the effective string theory is small in the Regge kinematical regime. For the amplitudes we obtain the Regge behavior with a linear trajectory of the intercept (d-2)/24 in d dimensions, which is computed semiclassically as a momentum-space Luescher term, and discuss an application to meson scattering amplitudes in QCD.

  19. Anomalies and modular invariance in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schellekens, A.N.; Warner, N.P.

    1986-01-01

    All known anomaly cancellations of heterotic string theories are derived directly from one-loop modular invariance, and are shown to be related to a property of modular functions of weight 2. Using modular invariance infinite classes of anomaly free field theories are constructed in (8m+2) dimensions for any m. A generating function is obtained for the anomalies of string-related field theories in (8m+2) dimensions. (orig.)

  20. Critical non-Abelian vortex in four dimensions and little string theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shifman, M.; Yung, A.

    2017-08-01

    As was shown recently, non-Abelian vortex strings supported in four-dimensional N =2 supersymmetric QCD with the U(2) gauge group and Nf=4 quark multiplets (flavors) become critical superstrings. In addition to the translational moduli, non-Abelian strings under consideration carry six orientational and size moduli. Together, they form a ten-dimensional target space required for a superstring to be critical. The target space of the string sigma model is a product of the flat four-dimensional space and a Calabi-Yau noncompact threefold, namely, the conifold. We study closed string states which emerge in four dimensions and identify them with hadrons of four-dimensional N =2 QCD. One massless state was found previously; it emerges as a massless hypermultiplet associated with the deformation of the complex structure of the conifold. In this paper, we find a number of massive states. To this end, we exploit the approach used in LST little string theory, namely, the equivalence between the critical string on the conifold and noncritical c =1 string with the Liouville field and a compact scalar at the self-dual radius. The states we find carry "baryonic" charge (its definition differs from standard). We interpret them as "monopole necklaces" formed (at strong coupling) by the closed string with confined monopoles attached.

  1. BPS limit of multi- D- and DF-strings in boundary string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Go, Gyungchoon; Ishida, Akira; Kim, Yoonbai

    2007-01-01

    A BPS limit is systematically derived for straight multi- D- and DF-strings from the D3D-bar3 system in the context of boundary superstring field theory. The BPS limit is obtained in the limit of thin D(F)-strings, where the Bogomolny equation supports singular static multi-D(F)-string solutions. For the BPS multi-string configurations with arbitrary separations, BPS sum rule is fulfilled under a Gaussian type tachyon potential and reproduces exactly the descent relation. For the DF-strings ((p,q)-strings), the distribution of fundamental string charge density coincides with its energy density and the Hamiltonian density takes the BPS formula of square-root form

  2. Instantons, hypermultiplets and the heterotic string

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halmagyi, Nick; Melnikov, Ilarion V.; Sethi, Savdeep

    2007-01-01

    Hypermultiplet couplings in type IIA string theory on a Calabi-Yau space can be quantum corrected by D2-brane instantons wrapping special Lagrangian cycles. On the other hand, hypermultiplet couplings in the heterotic string on a K3 surface are corrected by world-sheet instantons wrapping curves. In a class of examples, we relate these two sets of instanton corrections. We first present an analogue of the c-map for the heterotic string via a dual flux compactification of M-theory. Using this duality, we propose two ways of capturing quantum corrections to hypermultiplets. We then use the orientifold limit of certain F-theory compactifications to relate curves in K3 to special Lagrangians in dual type IIA compactifications. We conclude with some results from perturbative string theory for hypermultiplet F-terms and a conjecture about the topology of brane instantons

  3. On tadpoles and vacuum redefinitions in String Theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dudas, E.; Nicolosi, M.; Pradisi, G.; Sagnotti, A.

    2005-01-01

    Tadpoles accompany, in one form or another, all attempts to realize supersymmetry breaking in String Theory, making the present constructions at best incomplete. Whereas these tadpoles are typically large, a closer look at the problem from a perturbative viewpoint has the potential of illuminating at least some of its qualitative features in String Theory. A possible scheme to this effect was proposed long ago by Fischler and Susskind, but incorporating background redefinitions in string amplitudes in a systematic fashion has long proved very difficult. In the first part of this paper, drawing from field theory examples, we thus begin to explore what one can learn by working perturbatively in a 'wrong' vacuum. While unnatural in Field Theory, this procedure presents evident advantages in String Theory, whose definition in curved backgrounds is mostly beyond reach at the present time. At the field theory level, we also identify and characterize some special choices of vacua where tadpole resummations terminate after a few contributions. In the second part we present a notable example where vacuum redefinitions can be dealt with to some extent at the full string level, providing some evidence for a new link between IIB and 0B orientifolds. We finally show that NS-NS tadpoles do not manifest themselves to lowest order in certain classes of string constructions with broken supersymmetry and parallel branes, including brane-antibrane pairs and brane supersymmetry breaking models, that therefore have UV-finite threshold corrections at one loop

  4. Tensor modes on the string theory landscape

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Westphal, Alexander

    2012-06-01

    We attempt an estimate for the distribution of the tensor mode fraction r over the landscape of vacua in string theory. The dynamics of eternal inflation and quantum tunneling lead to a kind of democracy on the landscape, providing no bias towards large-field or small-field inflation regardless of the class of measure. The tensor mode fraction then follows the number frequency distributions of inflationary mechanisms of string theory over the landscape. We show that an estimate of the relative number frequencies for small-field vs large-field inflation, while unattainable on the whole landscape, may be within reach as a regional answer for warped Calabi-Yau flux compactifications of type IIB string theory.

  5. Tensor modes on the string theory landscape

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Westphal, Alexander

    2012-06-15

    We attempt an estimate for the distribution of the tensor mode fraction r over the landscape of vacua in string theory. The dynamics of eternal inflation and quantum tunneling lead to a kind of democracy on the landscape, providing no bias towards large-field or small-field inflation regardless of the class of measure. The tensor mode fraction then follows the number frequency distributions of inflationary mechanisms of string theory over the landscape. We show that an estimate of the relative number frequencies for small-field vs large-field inflation, while unattainable on the whole landscape, may be within reach as a regional answer for warped Calabi-Yau flux compactifications of type IIB string theory.

  6. On black holes, space-time foam and the nature of time in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mavromatos, N.E.; Grenoble-1 Univ., 74 - Annecy

    1993-04-01

    It is shown that the light particles in string theory obey an effective quantum mechanics modified by the inclusion of a quantum-gravitational friction term, induced by unavoidable couplings to unobserved massive string states in the space-time foam. This term is related to the W-symmetries that couple light particles to massive solitonic string states in black hole backgrounds, and has a formal similarity to simple models of environmental quantum friction. All properties follow from a definition of target-time as a Renormalization Group scale parameter and the associated (generic) properties of the renormalization group flow. Some experimental consequences, concerning CPT violation detectable in systems that are generally considered as sensitive probes of quantum mechanics (e.g. neutral kaons), are briefly discussed. (author). 52 refs., 1 fig

  7. Holomorphic couplings in non-perturbative string compactifications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klevers, Denis Marco

    2011-06-15

    In this thesis we present an analysis of several aspects of four-dimensional, non-perturbative N = 1 compactifications of string theory. Our focus is on the study of brane dynamics and their effective physics as encoded in the holomorphic couplings of the low-energy N=1 effective action, most prominently the superpotential W. The thesis is divided into three parts. In part one we derive the effective action of a spacetime-filling D5-brane in generic Type IIB Calabi-Yau orientifold compactifications. In the second part we invoke tools from string dualities, namely from F-theory, heterotic/F-theory duality and mirror symmetry, for a more elaborate study of the dynamics of (p, q) 7-branes and heterotic five-branes. In this context we demonstrate exact computations of the complete perturbative effective superpotential, both due to branes and background fluxes. Finally, in the third part we present a novel geometric description of five-branes in Type IIB and heterotic M-theory Calabi-Yau compactifications via a non-Calabi-Yau threefold Z{sub 3}, that is canonically constructed from the original five-brane and Calabi-Yau threefold Z{sub 3} via a blow-up. We exploit the use of the blow-up threefold Z{sub 3} as a tool to derive open-closed Picard-Fuchs differential equations, that govern the complete effective brane and flux superpotential. In addition, we present first evidence to interpret Z{sub 3} as a flux compactification dual to the original five-brane by defining an SU(3)-structure on Z{sub 3}, that is generated dynamically by the five-brane backreaction. (orig.)

  8. Chronology protection in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dyson, Lisa

    2004-01-01

    Many solutions of General Relativity appear to allow the possibility of time travel. This was initially a fascinating discovery, but geometries of this type violate causality, a basic physical law which is believed to be fundamental. Although string theory is a proposed fundamental theory of quantum gravity, geometries with closed timelike curves have resurfaced as solutions to its low energy equations of motion. In this paper, we will study the class of solutions to low energy effective supergravity theories related to the BMPV black hole and the rotating wave-D1-D5-brane system. Time travel appears to be possible in these geometries. We will attempt to build the causality violating regions and propose that stringy effects prohibit their construction. The proposed chronology protection agent for these geometries mirrors a mechanism string theory employs to resolve a class of naked singularities. (author)

  9. CP and other gauge symmetries in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dine, M.; Leigh, R.G.; MacIntire, D.A.

    1992-01-01

    We argue that CP is a gauge symmetry in string theory. As a consequence, CP cannot be explicitly broken either perturbatively or nonperturbatively; there can be no nonperturbative CP-violating parameters. String theory is thus an example of a theory where all θ angles arise due to spontaneous CP violation, and are in principle calculable

  10. Deconfinement and the Hagedorn transition in string theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaudhuri, S

    2001-03-05

    We introduce a new definition of the thermal partition function in string theory. With this new definition, the thermal partition functions of all of the string theories obey thermal duality relations with self-dual Hagedorn temperature beta(2)(H) = 4pi(2)alpha('). A beta-->beta(2)(H)/beta transformation maps the type I theory into a new string theory (type I) with thermal D p-branes, spatial hypersurfaces supporting a p-dimensional finite temperature non-Abelian Higgs-gauge theory for p< or =9. We demonstrate a continuous phase transition in the behavior of the static heavy quark-antiquark potential for small separations r(2)(*)

  11. The NMSSM and string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lebedev, Oleg; Ramos-Sanchez, Saul

    2009-12-01

    We study the possibility of constructing the NMSSM from the heterotic string. String derived NMSSMs are much more rare than MSSMs due to the extra requirement that there exist a light singlet which couples to the Higgs pairs. They share the common feature that the singlet self-interactions are typically suppressed, leading to either the ''decoupling'' or to the Peccei-Quinn limit of the NMSSM. In the latter case, the spectrum contains a light pseudoscalar which may be relevant to the MSSM fine-tuning problem.We provide a Z 6 heterotic orbifold example of the NMSSM with approximate Peccei-Quinn symmetry, whose origin lies in the string selection rules combined with our choice of the vacuum configuration. (orig.)

  12. Symmetries of Maldacena-Wilson loops from integrable string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muenkler, Hagen

    2017-01-01

    This thesis discusses hidden symmetries within N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory or its AdS/CFT dual, string theory in AdS 5 x S 5 . Here, we focus on the Maldacena-Wilson loop, which is a suitable object for this study since its vacuum expectation value is finite for smooth contours and the conjectured duality to scattering amplitudes provides a conceptual path to transfer its symmetries to other observables. Its strong-coupling description via minimal surfaces in AdS 5 allows to construct the symmetries from the integrability of the underlying classical string theory. This approach has been utilized before to derive a strong-coupling Yangian symmetry of the Maldacena-Wilson loop and describe equiareal deformations of minimal surfaces in AdS 3 . These two findings are connected and extended in the present thesis. In order to discuss the symmetries systematically, we first discuss the symmetry structure of the underlying string model. The discussion can be generalized to the discussion of generic symmetric space models. For these, we find that the symmetry which generates the equiareal deformations of minimal surfaces in AdS 3 has a central role in the symmetry structure of the model: It acts as a raising operator on the infinite tower of conserved charges, thus generating the spectral parameter, and can be employed to construct all symmetry variations from the global symmetry of the model. It is thus referred to as the master symmetry of symmetric space models. Additionally, the algebra of the symmetry variations and the conserved charges is worked out. For the concrete case of minimal surfaces in AdS 5 , we discuss the deformation of the four-cusp solution, which provides the dual description of the four-gluon scattering amplitude. This marks the first step toward transferring the master symmetry to scattering amplitudes. Moreover, we compute the master and Yangian symmetry variations of generic, smooth boundary curves. The results leads to a coupling

  13. Symmetries of Maldacena-Wilson loops from integrable string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muenkler, Hagen

    2017-09-11

    This thesis discusses hidden symmetries within N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory or its AdS/CFT dual, string theory in AdS{sub 5} x S{sup 5}. Here, we focus on the Maldacena-Wilson loop, which is a suitable object for this study since its vacuum expectation value is finite for smooth contours and the conjectured duality to scattering amplitudes provides a conceptual path to transfer its symmetries to other observables. Its strong-coupling description via minimal surfaces in AdS{sub 5} allows to construct the symmetries from the integrability of the underlying classical string theory. This approach has been utilized before to derive a strong-coupling Yangian symmetry of the Maldacena-Wilson loop and describe equiareal deformations of minimal surfaces in AdS{sub 3}. These two findings are connected and extended in the present thesis. In order to discuss the symmetries systematically, we first discuss the symmetry structure of the underlying string model. The discussion can be generalized to the discussion of generic symmetric space models. For these, we find that the symmetry which generates the equiareal deformations of minimal surfaces in AdS{sub 3} has a central role in the symmetry structure of the model: It acts as a raising operator on the infinite tower of conserved charges, thus generating the spectral parameter, and can be employed to construct all symmetry variations from the global symmetry of the model. It is thus referred to as the master symmetry of symmetric space models. Additionally, the algebra of the symmetry variations and the conserved charges is worked out. For the concrete case of minimal surfaces in AdS{sub 5}, we discuss the deformation of the four-cusp solution, which provides the dual description of the four-gluon scattering amplitude. This marks the first step toward transferring the master symmetry to scattering amplitudes. Moreover, we compute the master and Yangian symmetry variations of generic, smooth boundary curves. The results

  14. The universal wave function interpretation of string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gang, Dr. Sha Zhi; Xiu, Rulin

    2016-01-01

    In this work, we will show that a deeper understanding of space-time provided by both quantum physics and general relativity can lead to a new way to understand string theory. This new way of understanding and applying string theory, the universal wave function interpretation of string theory (UWFIST), may yield to a more powerful string theory and testable prediction. We will show how to derive UWFIST and what new result we can obtain from UWFIST. We will demonstrate that UWFIST indicates that the observed space-time and all phenomena are the projections from the world-sheet hologram. UWFIST provides the possible source for dark energy and dark matter and the explanation about why the dark energy and dark matter is beyond the detection of our current detector. We will show that UWFIST may also yield correct prediction of the cosmological constant to be of the order 10-121 in the unit of Planck scale. It may also help us understand and derive the energy source for inflation and the flatness of our observed 4-dimensional universe. UWFIST may also make other testable predictions that may be detected by interferometers. We conclude that UWFIST has the potential to make string theory a more powerful physics theory that can yield testable predictions. It is worth further investigation by more physicists

  15. An introduction to conformal field theory in two dimensions and string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wadia, S.R.

    1989-01-01

    This paper provides information on The S-Matrix; Elements of conformally invariant field theory in 2-dim.; The Virasoro gauge conditions; Some representations of the Virasoro algebra; The S-matrix of the Bosonic string theory; Super conformal field theory; Superstring; superstring spectrum and GSO projection; The (β,γ) ghost system; BRST formulation; and String propagation in background fields

  16. On multibrane solutions in open string field theory

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Murata, Masaki; Schnabl, Martin

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 2011, č. 188 (2011), s. 50-55 ISSN 0375-9687. [International Conference on String Field Theory and Related Aspects (SFT2010). Kyoto, 18.10.2010-22.10.2010] Grant - others:EUROHORC and ESF(XE) EYI/07/E010 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100502 Keywords : string field theory * D-branes * open strings Subject RIV: BF - Elementary Particles and High Energy Physics Impact factor: 1.063, year: 2011 http://ptp.ipap.jp/link?PTPS/188/50/

  17. Supertwistor orbifolds: gauge theory amplitudes and topological strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jaemo; Rey, Soojong

    2004-01-01

    Witten established correspondence between multiparton amplitudes in four-dimensional maximally supersymmetric gauge theory and topological string theory on supertwistor space CP 3verticalbar4 . We extend Witten's correspondence to gauge theories with lower supersymmetries, product gauge groups, and fermions and scalars in complex representations. Such gauge theories arise in high-energy limit of the Standard Model of strong and electroweak interactions. We construct such theories by orbifolding prescription. Much like gauge and string theories, such prescription is applicable equally well to topological string theories on supertwistor space. We work out several examples of orbifolds of CP 3verticalbar4 that are dual to N=2,1,0 quiver gauge theories. We study gauged sigma model describing topological B-model on the superorbifolds, and explore mirror pairs with particular attention to the parity symmetry. We check the orbifold construction by studying multiparton amplitudes in these theories with particular attention to those involving fermions in bifundamental representations and interactions involving U(1) subgroups. (author)

  18. Strings, texture, and inflation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hodges, H.M.; Primack, J.R.

    1991-01-01

    We examine mechanisms, several of which are proposed here, to generate structure formation, or to just add large-scale features, through either gauged or global cosmic strings or global texture, within the framework of inflation. We first explore the possibility that strings or texture form if there is no coupling between the topological theory and the inflaton or spacetime curvature, via (1) quantum creation, and (2) a sufficiently high reheat temperature. In addition, we examine the prospects for the inflaton field itself to generate strings or texture. Then, models with the string/texture field coupled to the curvature, and an equivalent model with coupling to the inflaton field, are considered in detail. The requirement that inflationary density fluctuations are not so large as to conflict with observations leads to a number of constraints on model parameters. We find that strings of relevance for structure formation can form in the absence of coupling to the inflaton or curvature through the process of quantum creation, but only if the strings are strongly type I, or if they are global strings. If formed after reheating, naturalness suggests that gauged cosmic strings correspond to a type-I superconductor. Similarly, gauged strings formed during inflation via conformal coupling ξ=1/6 to the spacetime curvature (in a model suggested by Yokoyama in order to evade the millisecond pulsar constraint on cosmic strings) are expected to be strongly type I

  19. On the S-matrix of type-0 string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeWolfe, Oliver; Roiban, Radu; Spradlin, Marcus; Volovich, Anastasia; Walcher, Johannes

    2003-01-01

    The recent discovery of non-perturbatively stable two-dimensional string back-grounds and their dual matrix models allows the study of complete scattering matrices in string theory. In this note we adapt work of Moore, Plesser, and Ramgoolam on the bosonic string to compute the exact S-matrices of 0A and 0B string theory in two dimensions. Unitarity of the 0B theory requires the inclusion of massless soliton sectors carrying RR scalar charge as asymptotic states. We propose a regularization of IR divergences and find transition probabilities that distinguish the otherwise energetically degenerate soliton sectors. Unstable D-branes can decay into distinct soliton sectors. (author)

  20. Kac-Moody Eisenstein series in string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fleig, Philipp

    2013-12-19

    Understanding nature on its very smallest 'physical-length' scale has always been a central goal of physics. Theoretical investigations into this problem over the last fifty years or so were largely driven by the aim of reconciling the theory of general relativity, the theory which describes the fundamental force of gravity and therefore the dynamics of space-time, with the theory of quantum mechanics, which dominates the physical phenomena on very small (sub-atomic) scales, within one big framework, referred to as the theory of quantum gravity. One candidate for such a theory is string theory. The fundamental assumption of this theory is that the smallest constituents of nature are not given by point particles, but rather by one dimensional strings the size of the Planck length. Through their different vibrational modes, strings are thought to produce the different properties of the observed spectrum of particles in nature. With this basic idea, string theory is not only predicted to describe the gravitational force, but also all other known forces of nature, and therefore extends far beyond the concept of only being a theory of quantised gravity. Since its initial proposal, the theory has developed into a vast and complex mathematical web of different theories, which all seem to be part of a larger, all-encompassing theory. Key to understanding the complicated mathematical structure of this theory is the concept of symmetries. Such symmetries, which are also known as duality relations, for instance manifest themselves in special mathematical functions, contained in the amplitudes that capture information about the interaction processes of strings with one another. A particularly relevant example of such a function is given by the so-called Eisenstein series, which display invariance under certain discrete duality groups. The central goal of this thesis is to study the properties of Eisenstein series invariant under special, particularly large (in fact

  1. Kac-Moody Eisenstein series in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fleig, Philipp

    2013-01-01

    Understanding nature on its very smallest 'physical-length' scale has always been a central goal of physics. Theoretical investigations into this problem over the last fifty years or so were largely driven by the aim of reconciling the theory of general relativity, the theory which describes the fundamental force of gravity and therefore the dynamics of space-time, with the theory of quantum mechanics, which dominates the physical phenomena on very small (sub-atomic) scales, within one big framework, referred to as the theory of quantum gravity. One candidate for such a theory is string theory. The fundamental assumption of this theory is that the smallest constituents of nature are not given by point particles, but rather by one dimensional strings the size of the Planck length. Through their different vibrational modes, strings are thought to produce the different properties of the observed spectrum of particles in nature. With this basic idea, string theory is not only predicted to describe the gravitational force, but also all other known forces of nature, and therefore extends far beyond the concept of only being a theory of quantised gravity. Since its initial proposal, the theory has developed into a vast and complex mathematical web of different theories, which all seem to be part of a larger, all-encompassing theory. Key to understanding the complicated mathematical structure of this theory is the concept of symmetries. Such symmetries, which are also known as duality relations, for instance manifest themselves in special mathematical functions, contained in the amplitudes that capture information about the interaction processes of strings with one another. A particularly relevant example of such a function is given by the so-called Eisenstein series, which display invariance under certain discrete duality groups. The central goal of this thesis is to study the properties of Eisenstein series invariant under special, particularly large (in fact infinite

  2. E7 type modular invariant Wess-Zumino theory and Gepner's string compactification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kato, Akishi; Kitazawa, Yoshihisa

    1989-01-01

    The report addresses the development of a general procedure to study the structure of operator algebra in off-diagonal modular invariant theories. An effort is made to carry out this procedure in E 7 type modular invariant Wess-Zumino-Witten theory and explicitly check the closure of operator product algebra, which is required for any consistent conformal field theory. The conformal field theory is utilized to construct perturbative vacuum in string theory. Apparently quite nontrivial vacuums can be constructed out of minimal models of the N = 2 superconformal theory. Here, an investigation made of the Yukawa couplings of such a model which uses E 7 type off-diagonal modular invariance. Phenomenological properties of this model is also discussed. Although off-diagonal modular invariant theories are rather special, realistic models seem to require very special manifolds. Therefore they may enhance the viability of string theory to describe real world. A study is also made on Verlinde's fusion algebra in E 7 modular invariant theory. It is determined in the holomorphic sector only. Furthermore the indicator is given by the modular transformation matrix. A pair of operators which operate on the characters play a crucial role in this theory. (Nogami, K.)

  3. Local random configuration-tree theory for string repetition and facilitated dynamics of glass

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Chi-Hang

    2018-02-01

    We derive a microscopic theory of glassy dynamics based on the transport of voids by micro-string motions, each of which involves particles arranged in a line hopping simultaneously displacing one another. Disorder is modeled by a random energy landscape quenched in the configuration space of distinguishable particles, but transient in the physical space as expected for glassy fluids. We study the evolution of local regions with m coupled voids. At a low temperature, energetically accessible local particle configurations can be organized into a random tree with nodes and edges denoting configurations and micro-string propagations respectively. Such trees defined in the configuration space naturally describe systems defined in two- or three-dimensional physical space. A micro-string propagation initiated by a void can facilitate similar motions by other voids via perturbing the random energy landscape, realizing path interactions between voids or equivalently string interactions. We obtain explicit expressions of the particle diffusion coefficient and a particle return probability. Under our approximation, as temperature decreases, random trees of energetically accessible configurations exhibit a sequence of percolation transitions in the configuration space, with local regions containing fewer coupled voids entering the non-percolating immobile phase first. Dynamics is dominated by coupled voids of an optimal group size, which increases as temperature decreases. Comparison with a distinguishable-particle lattice model (DPLM) of glass shows very good quantitative agreements using only two adjustable parameters related to typical energy fluctuations and the interaction range of the micro-strings.

  4. Universal moduli space and string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwarz, A.S.

    1989-09-01

    The construction of the universal supermoduli space is given. The super-Mumford form (the holomorphic square root from the string measure) is extended to the universal supermoduli space and expressed through the superanalog of Sato's τ-function. The hidden N=2 superconformal symmetry in the string theory is considered. (author). 13 refs

  5. On topological string theory with Calabi-Yau backgrounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haghighat, Babak

    2009-01-01

    String theory represents a unifying framework for quantum field theory as well as for general relativity combining them into a theory of quantum gravity. The topological string is a subsector of the full string theory capturing physical amplitudes which only depend on the topology of the compactification manifold. Starting with a review of the physical applications of topological string theory we go on to give a detailed description of its theoretical framework and mathematical principles. Having this way provided the grounding for concrete calculations we proceed to solve the theory on three major types of Calabi-Yau manifolds, namely Grassmannian Calabi-Yau manifolds, local Calabi-Yau manifolds, and K3 fibrations. Our method of solution is the integration of the holomorphic anomaly equations and fixing the holomorphic ambiguity by physical boundary conditions. We determine the correct parameterization of the ambiguity and new boundary conditions at various singularity loci in moduli space. Among the main results of this thesis are the tables of degeneracies of BPS states in the appendices and the verification of the correct microscopic entropy interpretation for five dimensional extremal black holes arising from compactifications on Grassmannian Calabi-Yau manifolds. (orig.)

  6. On topological string theory with Calabi-Yau backgrounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haghighat, Babak

    2010-06-01

    String theory represents a unifying framework for quantum field theory as well as for general relativity combining them into a theory of quantum gravity. The topological string is a subsector of the full string theory capturing physical amplitudes which only depend on the topology of the compactification manifold. Starting with a review of the physical applications of topological string theory we go on to give a detailed description of its theoretical framework and mathematical principles. Having this way provided the grounding for concrete calculations we proceed to solve the theory on three major types of Calabi-Yau manifolds, namely Grassmannian Calabi-Yau manifolds, local Calabi-Yau manifolds, and K3 fibrations. Our method of solution is the integration of the holomorphic anomaly equations and fixing the holomorphic ambiguity by physical boundary conditions. We determine the correct parameterization of the ambiguity and new boundary conditions at various singularity loci in moduli space. Among the main results of this thesis are the tables of degeneracies of BPS states in the appendices and the veri cation of the correct microscopic entropy interpretation for five dimensional extremal black holes arising from compactifications on Grassmannian Calabi-Yau manifolds. (orig.)

  7. On topological string theory with Calabi-Yau backgrounds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haghighat, Babak

    2010-06-15

    String theory represents a unifying framework for quantum field theory as well as for general relativity combining them into a theory of quantum gravity. The topological string is a subsector of the full string theory capturing physical amplitudes which only depend on the topology of the compactification manifold. Starting with a review of the physical applications of topological string theory we go on to give a detailed description of its theoretical framework and mathematical principles. Having this way provided the grounding for concrete calculations we proceed to solve the theory on three major types of Calabi-Yau manifolds, namely Grassmannian Calabi-Yau manifolds, local Calabi-Yau manifolds, and K3 fibrations. Our method of solution is the integration of the holomorphic anomaly equations and fixing the holomorphic ambiguity by physical boundary conditions. We determine the correct parameterization of the ambiguity and new boundary conditions at various singularity loci in moduli space. Among the main results of this thesis are the tables of degeneracies of BPS states in the appendices and the veri cation of the correct microscopic entropy interpretation for five dimensional extremal black holes arising from compactifications on Grassmannian Calabi-Yau manifolds. (orig.)

  8. On topological string theory with Calabi-Yau backgrounds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haghighat, Babak

    2009-10-29

    String theory represents a unifying framework for quantum field theory as well as for general relativity combining them into a theory of quantum gravity. The topological string is a subsector of the full string theory capturing physical amplitudes which only depend on the topology of the compactification manifold. Starting with a review of the physical applications of topological string theory we go on to give a detailed description of its theoretical framework and mathematical principles. Having this way provided the grounding for concrete calculations we proceed to solve the theory on three major types of Calabi-Yau manifolds, namely Grassmannian Calabi-Yau manifolds, local Calabi-Yau manifolds, and K3 fibrations. Our method of solution is the integration of the holomorphic anomaly equations and fixing the holomorphic ambiguity by physical boundary conditions. We determine the correct parameterization of the ambiguity and new boundary conditions at various singularity loci in moduli space. Among the main results of this thesis are the tables of degeneracies of BPS states in the appendices and the verification of the correct microscopic entropy interpretation for five dimensional extremal black holes arising from compactifications on Grassmannian Calabi-Yau manifolds. (orig.)

  9. Quantum string test of nonconformal holography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen-Lin, Xinyi; Medina-Rincon, Daniel; Zarembo, Konstantin [Nordita, Stockholm University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology,Roslagstullsbacken 23, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University,SE-751 08 Uppsala (Sweden)

    2017-04-18

    We compute Lüscher corrections to the effective string tension in the Pilch-Warner background, holographically dual to N=2{sup ∗} supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. The same quantity can be calculated directly from field theory by solving the localization matrix model at large-N. We find complete agreement between the field-theory predictions and explicit string-theory calculation at strong coupling.

  10. pp wave big bangs: Matrix strings and shrinking fuzzy spheres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, Sumit R.; Michelson, Jeremy

    2005-01-01

    We find pp wave solutions in string theory with null-like linear dilatons. These provide toy models of big bang cosmologies. We formulate matrix string theory in these backgrounds. Near the big bang 'singularity', the string theory becomes strongly coupled but the Yang-Mills description of the matrix string is weakly coupled. The presence of a second length scale allows us to focus on a specific class of non-Abelian configurations, viz. fuzzy cylinders, for a suitable regime of parameters. We show that, for a class of pp waves, fuzzy cylinders which start out big at early times dynamically shrink into usual strings at sufficiently late times

  11. String tensions in deformed Yang-Mills theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poppitz, Erich; Shalchian T., M. Erfan

    2018-01-01

    We study k-strings in deformed Yang-Mills (dYM) with SU(N) gauge group in the semiclassically calculable regime on R^3× S^1 . Their tensions Tk are computed in two ways: numerically, for 2 ≤ N ≤ 10, and via an analytic approach using a re-summed perturbative expansion. The latter serves both as a consistency check on the numerical results and as a tool to analytically study the large-N limit. We find that dYM k-string ratios Tk/T1 do not obey the well-known sine- or Casimir-scaling laws. Instead, we show that the ratios Tk/T1 are bound above by a square root of Casimir scaling, previously found to hold for stringlike solutions of the MIT Bag Model. The reason behind this similarity is that dYM dynamically realizes, in a theoretically controlled setting, the main model assumptions of the Bag Model. We also compare confining strings in dYM and in other four-dimensional theories with abelian confinement, notably Seiberg-Witten theory, and show that the unbroken Z_N center symmetry in dYM leads to different properties of k-strings in the two theories; for example, a "baryon vertex" exists in dYM but not in softly-broken Seiberg-Witten theory. Our results also indicate that, at large values of N, k-strings in dYM do not become free.

  12. Higher-dimensional string theory in Lyra geometry

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Cosmic strings as source of gravitational field in general relativity was discussed by ... tensor theory of gravitation and constructed an analog of Einstein field ... As string concept is useful before the particle creation and can explain galaxy for-.

  13. Born reciprocity in string theory and the nature of spacetime

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Freidel, Laurent, E-mail: lfreidel@perimeterinstitute.ca [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 31 Caroline St., N, Ontario N2L 2Y5, Waterloo (Canada); Leigh, Robert G., E-mail: rgleigh@uiuc.edu [Department of Physics, University of Illinois, 1110 West Green St., Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Minic, Djordje, E-mail: dminic@vt.edu [Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 (United States)

    2014-03-07

    After many years, the deep nature of spacetime in string theory remains an enigma. In this Letter we incorporate the concept of Born reciprocity in order to provide a new point of view on string theory in which spacetime is a derived dynamical concept. This viewpoint may be thought of as a dynamical chiral phase space formulation of string theory, in which Born reciprocity is implemented as a choice of a Lagrangian submanifold of the phase space, and amounts to a generalization of T-duality. In this approach the fundamental symmetry of string theory contains phase space diffeomorphism invariance and the underlying string geometry should be understood in terms of dynamical bi-Lagrangian manifolds and an apparently new geometric structure, somewhat reminiscent of para-quaternionic geometry, which we call Born geometry.

  14. Born reciprocity in string theory and the nature of spacetime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freidel, Laurent; Leigh, Robert G.; Minic, Djordje

    2014-01-01

    After many years, the deep nature of spacetime in string theory remains an enigma. In this Letter we incorporate the concept of Born reciprocity in order to provide a new point of view on string theory in which spacetime is a derived dynamical concept. This viewpoint may be thought of as a dynamical chiral phase space formulation of string theory, in which Born reciprocity is implemented as a choice of a Lagrangian submanifold of the phase space, and amounts to a generalization of T-duality. In this approach the fundamental symmetry of string theory contains phase space diffeomorphism invariance and the underlying string geometry should be understood in terms of dynamical bi-Lagrangian manifolds and an apparently new geometric structure, somewhat reminiscent of para-quaternionic geometry, which we call Born geometry.

  15. Introduction to bosonic string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nunez, Carmen [Instituto de Astronomia y Fisica del Espacio, Buenos Aires (Argentina)], e-mail: carmen@iafe.uba.ar

    2009-07-01

    This is an introductory set of five lectures on bosonic string theory. The first one deals with the classical theory of bosonic strings. The second and third lectures cover quantization. Three basic quantization methods are sketched: the old covariant formalism, the light-cone gauge quantization, where the spectrum is derived and the Polyakov path integral formalism and in particular the partition function at one loop. Finally, the last lecture covers interactions, low energy effective action, the general idea of compactification and in particular toroidal compactification. The notes are based on books by Green, Schwarz and Witten, Polchinski, Lust and Theissen and Kaku and review papers by D'Hocker and Phong and O. Alvarez. (author)

  16. Perturbative string theory in BRST invariant formalism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Vecchia, P.; Hornfeck, K.; Frau, M.; Lerda, A.

    1988-01-01

    In this talk we present a constructive and very explicit way of calculating multiloop amplitudes in string theories. The main ingredients are the BRST invariant N String Vertex and the BRST invariant twisted propagator. This approach naturally leads to the Schottky parametrization of moduli space in terms of multipliers and fixed points of the g projective transformations which characterize a Riemann surface of genus g. The complete expression (including measure) of the multiloop corrections to the N String Vertex for the bosonic string is exhibited. (orig.)

  17. Introduction to string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Randjbar-Daemi, S.; Strathdee, J.

    1987-10-01

    These notes are based on a set of six introductory lectures given jointly by the authors. After developing the canonical methods we discuss the covariant quantization of the bosonic as well as the fermionic string. Conformal field theory methods are also introduced and used to calculate the anomaly coefficient, c, as well as the critical dimensions for bosonic and superstrings. We briefly sketch the BRS quantization and then offer an elementary derivation of the anomaly in the ghost number current. Finally, we address the one-loop partition function of the bosonic string and the question of SL(2,Z) invariance. (author). 15 refs

  18. Worldsheet factorization for twistor-strings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adamo, Tim [Department of Applied Mathematics & Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA (United Kingdom)

    2014-04-10

    We study the multiparticle factorization properties of two worldsheet theories which — at tree-level — describe the scattering of massless particles in four dimensions: the Berkovits-Witten twistor-string for N=4 super-Yang-Mills coupled to N=4 conformal supergravity, and the Skinner twistor-string for N=8 supergravity. By considering these string-like theories, we can study factorization at the level of the worldsheet before any Wick contractions or integrals have been performed; this is much simpler than considering the factorization properties of the amplitudes themselves. In Skinner’s twistor-string this entails the addition of worldsheet gravity as well as a formalism that represents all external states in a manifestly symmetric way, which we develop explicitly at genus zero. We confirm that the scattering amplitudes of Skinner’s theory, as well as the gauge theory amplitudes for the planar sector of the Berkovits-Witten theory, factorize appropriately at genus zero. In the non-planar sector, we find behavior indicative of conformal gravity in the Berkovits-Witten twistor-string. We contrast factorization in twistor-strings with the story in ordinary string theory, and also make some remarks on higher genus factorization and disconnected prescriptions.

  19. Worldsheet factorization for twistor-strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adamo, Tim

    2014-01-01

    We study the multiparticle factorization properties of two worldsheet theories which — at tree-level — describe the scattering of massless particles in four dimensions: the Berkovits-Witten twistor-string for N=4 super-Yang-Mills coupled to N=4 conformal supergravity, and the Skinner twistor-string for N=8 supergravity. By considering these string-like theories, we can study factorization at the level of the worldsheet before any Wick contractions or integrals have been performed; this is much simpler than considering the factorization properties of the amplitudes themselves. In Skinner’s twistor-string this entails the addition of worldsheet gravity as well as a formalism that represents all external states in a manifestly symmetric way, which we develop explicitly at genus zero. We confirm that the scattering amplitudes of Skinner’s theory, as well as the gauge theory amplitudes for the planar sector of the Berkovits-Witten theory, factorize appropriately at genus zero. In the non-planar sector, we find behavior indicative of conformal gravity in the Berkovits-Witten twistor-string. We contrast factorization in twistor-strings with the story in ordinary string theory, and also make some remarks on higher genus factorization and disconnected prescriptions

  20. From fractals to wormholes via string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Felce, A.G.

    1992-01-01

    The thesis is in two parts. The first part is devoted to a study of the definition of mass for soliton solutions in string theory. In the context of the low-energy effective field theory, there are three distinct quantities from which one can extract the mass of a soliton: the ADM mass, the static action and the kinetic energy. The three corresponding masses are carefully defined and shown to be equal for a representative class of string solitons, the so-called 'black fivebranes'. Along the way a potential confusion in the definition of the action is cleared up, and it is shown that the kinetic energy of a moving soliton is given in terms of a surface integral at spacelike infinity. This result for the kinetic energy is used to motivate a conjecture about the exact value of soliton masses in string theory: That in conformal field theory the kinetic mass is realized as the norm of the (1,1) deformation induced by the collective coordinate. Such deformations are usually treated as unphysical because they appear to be pure gauge and have zero norm. In a soliton conformal field theory, a finite number of these gauge transformations become physical because of a subtlety involving the boundary at spatial infinity. Some proposals for concrete exploration of this phenomenon are discussed. The second part of the thesis concerns the connection between string theory and an important problem in condensed matter physics. It has recently been shown that the dissipative Hofstadter model (dissipative quantum mechanics of an electron subject to uniform magnetic field and periodic potential in two dimensions) exhibit critical behavior on a network of lines in the dissipation/magnetic field plane. Apart from their obvious condensed matter interest, the corresponding critical theories represent non-trivial solutions of open string field theory containing a tachyon and gauge field background. A detailed account of their properties would be interesting from several points of view

  1. A note on flux induced superpotentials in string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Becker, Melanie [Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-4111 (United States)]. E-mail: melanieb@physics.umd.edu; Constantin, Dragos [Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-4111 (United States)

    2003-08-01

    Non-vanishing fluxes in M-theory and string theory compactifications induce a superpotential in the lower dimensional theory. Gukov has conjectured the explicit form of this superpotential. We check this conjecture for the heterotic string compactified on a Calabi-Yau three-fold as well as for warped M-theory compactifications on Spin(7) holonomy manifolds, by performing a Kaluza-Klein reduction. (author)

  2. A note on flux induced superpotentials in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, Melanie; Constantin, Dragos

    2003-01-01

    Non-vanishing fluxes in M-theory and string theory compactifications induce a superpotential in the lower dimensional theory. Gukov has conjectured the explicit form of this superpotential. We check this conjecture for the heterotic string compactified on a Calabi-Yau three-fold as well as for warped M-theory compactifications on Spin(7) holonomy manifolds, by performing a Kaluza-Klein reduction. (author)

  3. Anatomy of zero-norm states in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chan, C.-T.; Lee, J.-C.; Yi Yang

    2005-01-01

    We calculate and identify the counterparts of zero-norm states in the old covariant first quantized (OCFQ) spectrum of open bosonic string in two other quantization schemes of string theory, namely, the light-cone Del Giudice-Di Vecchia-Fubine zero-norm states and the off-shell Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) zero-norm states (with ghost) in the Witten string field theory (WSFT). In particular, special attention is paid to the interparticle zero-norm states in all quantization schemes. For the case of the off-shell BRST zero-norm states, we impose the no-ghost conditions and recover exactly two types of on-shell zero-norm states in the OCFQ string spectrum for the first few low-lying mass levels. We then show that off-shell gauge transformations of WSFT are identical to the on-shell stringy gauge symmetries generated by two types of zero-norm states in the generalized massive σ-model approach of string theory. The high-energy limit of these stringy gauge symmetries was recently used to calculate the proportionality constants, conjectured by Gross, among high-energy scattering amplitudes of different string states. Based on these zero-norm state calculations, we have thus related gauge symmetry of WSFT to the high-energy stringy symmetry of Gross

  4. Geometrical theory of the relativistic string in t=tau gauge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbashov, B.M.; Nesterenko, V.V.

    1982-01-01

    Using the co-moving frame method and the exterior differential forms in the surface theory the classical theory of the relativistic string in the gauge is constructed. The moving frame on the string world-sheet is chosen in a special form. As a result, the theory of the free relativistic string in the four-dimensional space-time is reduced to the D'Alembert equation for one scalar function

  5. Solving the open bosonic string in perturbation theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samuel, S.

    1990-01-01

    The integrand and integration region for the N-point amplitude in the open oriented bosonic string are obtained to all orders in perturbation theory. The result is derived from the Witten covariant string field theory by using on-shell and off-shell conformal methods and Riemann surface mathematics. Although only the off-shell g-loop tachyon amplitudes are computed explicitly, the methods generalize to other external states. We derive the g-loop ghost-Jacobi identity in which the ghost correlation function cancels the jacobian factor in changing from second-quantized to first-quantized variables. Moduli space is discussed from several viewpoints and it is shown that string field theory provides an algorithm for its determination. (orig.)

  6. The Rise and Fall of the Cosmic String Theory for Cosmological Perturbations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perivolaropoulos, L.

    2005-01-01

    The cosmic string theory for cosmological fluctuations is a good example of healthy scientific progress in cosmology. It is a well defined physically motivated model that has been tested by cosmological observations and has been ruled out as a primary source of primordial fluctuations. Until about fifteen years ago, the cosmic string theory of cosmological perturbations provided one of the two physically motivated candidate theories for the generation of primordial perturbations. The cosmological data that appeared during the last decade have been compared with the well defined predictions of the theory and have ruled out cosmic strings as a primary source of primordial cosmological perturbations. Since cosmic strings are predicted to form after inflation in a wide range of microphysical theories (including supersymmetric and fundamental string theories) their observational bounds may serve a source of serious constraints for these theories. This is a pedagogical review of the historical development, the main predictions of the cosmic string theory and the constraints that have been imposed on it by cosmological observations. Recent lensing events that could be attributed to lighter cosmic strings are also discussed

  7. Towards a Theory of the QCD String

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2017-01-01

    I will review recent progress in understanding the dynamics of confining strings in non-supersymmetric gluodynamics in 3 and 4 space time dimensions. I will argue that the present lattice data allows to formulate a non-trivial straw man Ansatz for the worldsheet theory of long confining strings. According to this Ansatz, pure gluodynamics in 3D is described by a non-critical bosonic string theory without any extra local worldsheet degrees of freedom. I argue that the Ansatz allows to fix quantum numbers of (almost) all glueball states. I confront the resulting predictions with the properties of approximately 39 lightest glueball states observed on a lattice and find a good agreement.

  8. An equivalence between momentum and charge in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horne, J.H.; Horowitz, G.T.; Steif, A.R.

    1992-01-01

    It is shown that for a translationally invariant solution to string theory, spacetime duality interchanges the momentum in the symmetry direction and the axion charge per unit length. As one application, we show explicitly that charged black strings are equivalent to boosted (uncharged) black strings. The extremal black strings (which correspond to the field outside of a fundamental macroscopic string) are equivalent to plane-fronted waves describing strings moving at the speed of light

  9. Regge behavior saves string theory from causality violations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    di Vecchia, Paolo; Giuseppe, D'Appollonio; Russo, Rodolfo

    2015-01-01

    Higher-derivative corrections to the Einstein-Hilbert action are present in bosonic string theory leading to the potential causality violations recently pointed out by Camanho et al. [1]. We analyze in detail this question by considering high-energy string-brane collisions at impact parameters b....... Such violations are instead neatly avoided when the full structure of string theory — and in particular its Regge behavior — is taken into account....... ≤ l s (the string-length parameter) with l s ≫ R p (the characteristic scale of the Dp-brane geometry). If we keep only the contribution of the massless states causality is violated for a set of initial states whose polarization is suitably chosen with respect to the impact parameter vector...

  10. Topological insulators and superconductors from string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryu, Shinsei; Takayanagi, Tadashi

    2010-01-01

    Topological insulators and superconductors in different spatial dimensions and with different discrete symmetries have been fully classified recently, revealing a periodic structure for the pattern of possible types of topological insulators and superconductors, both in terms of spatial dimensions and in terms of symmetry classes. It was proposed that K theory is behind the periodicity. On the other hand, D-branes, a solitonic object in string theory, are also known to be classified by K theory. In this paper, by inspecting low-energy effective field theories realized by two parallel D-branes, we establish a one-to-one correspondence between the K-theory classification of topological insulators/superconductors and D-brane charges. In addition, the string theory realization of topological insulators and superconductors comes naturally with gauge interactions, and the Wess-Zumino term of the D-branes gives rise to a gauge field theory of topological nature, such as ones with the Chern-Simons term or the θ term in various dimensions. This sheds light on topological insulators and superconductors beyond noninteracting systems, and the underlying topological field theory description thereof. In particular, our string theory realization includes the honeycomb lattice Kitaev model in two spatial dimensions, and its higher-dimensional extensions. Increasing the number of D-branes naturally leads to a realization of topological insulators and superconductors in terms of holography (AdS/CFT).

  11. Topological defects in open string field theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kojita, Toshiko; Maccaferri, Carlo; Masuda, Toru; Schnabl, Martin

    2018-04-01

    We show how conformal field theory topological defects can relate solutions of open string field theory for different boundary conditions. To this end we generalize the results of Graham and Watts to include the action of defects on boundary condition changing fields. Special care is devoted to the general case when nontrivial multiplicities arise upon defect action. Surprisingly the fusion algebra of defects is realized on open string fields only up to a (star algebra) isomorphism.

  12. Introductory lectures on conformal field theory and strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Randjbar-Daemi, S.; Strathdee, J.

    1990-01-01

    The aim of these lectures is to provide an introduction to a first quantized formulation of string theory. This amounts to developing a consistent set of prescriptions for the perturbative computation of on-shell string amplitudes. The principal tool in this development is 2-dimensional conformal field theory on oriented manifolds of finite genus without boundaries (we treat only closed strings). This class of theory is much simpler than 4-dimensional quantum gravity with which it has many similarities. The geometry is not dynamical in this case, and the matter fields are not sensitive to local features of the geometry but only to global properties which can be characterized by a finite set of parameters (moduli). This can be formulated as field theory on a Riemann surface. We specialize mainly to free field theories for which the quantization problem can be completely solved by elementary means. An introduction to the general case will be given in Lectures II and III where the algebraic approach is discussed. The mathematics of Riemann surfaces is a well developed subject whose formalism is reviewed along with some of the principal theorems in Lecture IV. Physical string states are realized in the Hilbert space of a conformal field theory by the action of so-called ''vertex operators'' on the field theory vacuum state. Correlation functions of these vertex operators serve as ingredients for the computation of string amplitudes. They are to be integrated so as to include the contributions of all conformally inequivalent geometries, and a further manipulation (the GSO projection) is to be performed. These steps are to be regarded as part of the string prescription. The are introduced ad hoc to meet invariance and unitarity requirements. However, in these introductory lectures we give a description only of the integration over geometries (Lecture VII). The GSO projection, and related questions of modular invariance and unitarity are beyond the scope of these lectures

  13. Introductory lectures on Conformal Field Theory and Strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Randjbar-Daemi, S.; Strathdee, J.

    1990-01-01

    The aim of these lectures is to provide an introduction to a first quantized formulation of string theory. This amounts to developing a consistent set of prescriptions for the perturbative computation of on-shell string amplitudes. The principal tool in this development is 2-dimensional conformal field theory on oriented manifolds of finite genus without boundaries (we treat only closed strings). This class of theory is much simpler than 4-dimensional quantum gravity with which it has many similarities. The geometry is not dynamical in this case, and the matter fields are not sensitive to local features of the geometry but only to global properties which can be characterized by a finite set of parameters (moduli). This can be formulated as field theory on a Riemann surface. We specialize mainly to free field theories for which the quantization problem can be completely solved by elementary means. An introduction to the general case will be given in Lectures II and III where the algebraic approach is discussed. The mathematics of Riemann surfaces is a well developed subject whose formalism is reviewed along with some of the principal theorems in Lecture IV. Physical string states are realized in the Hilbert space of a conformal field theory by the action of so-called ''vertex operators'' on the field theory vacuum state. Correlation functions of these vertex operators serve as ingredients for the computation of string amplitudes. They are to be integrated so as to include the contributions of all conformally inequivalent geometries, and a further manipulation (the GSO projection) is to be performed. These steps are to be regarded as part of the string prescription. They are introduced ad hoc to meet invariance and unitarity requirements. However, in these introductory lectures we give a description only of the integration over geometries (Lecture VII). The GSO projection, and related questions of modular invariance and unitarity are beyond the scope of these

  14. Two field formulation of closed string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bogojevic, A.R.

    1990-09-01

    A formulation of closed string field theory is presented that is based on a two field action. It represents a generalization of Witten's Chern-Simons formulation of 3d gravity. The action contains only 3 string interactions and no string field truncations, unlike the previous non-polynomial action of Zwiebach. The two field action is found to follow from a purely cubic, background independent action similar to the one for open strings. (orig.)

  15. Open string Regge trajectory and its field theory limit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rojas, Francisco; Thorn, Charles B.

    2011-01-01

    We study the properties of the leading Regge trajectory in open string theory including the open string planar one-loop corrections. With SU(N) Chan-Paton factors, the sum over planar open string multiloop diagrams describes the 't Hooft limit N→∞ with Ng s 2 fixed. Our motivation is to improve the understanding of open string theory at finite α ' as a model of gauge field theories. SU(N) gauge theories in D space-time dimensions are described by requiring open strings to end on a stack of N Dp-branes of space-time dimension D=p+1. The large N leading trajectory α(t)=1+α ' t+Σ(t) can be extracted, through order g 2 , from the s→-∞ limit, at fixed t, of the four open string tree and planar loop diagrams. We analyze the t→0 behavior with the result that Σ(t)∼-Cg 2 (-α ' t) (D-4)/2 /(D-4). This result precisely tracks the 1-loop Reggeized gluon of gauge theory in D>4 space-time dimensions. In particular, for D→4 it reproduces the known infrared divergences of gauge theory in 4 dimensions with a Regge trajectory behaving as -ln(-α ' t). We also study Σ(t) in the limit t→-∞ and show that, when D ' t/(ln(-α ' t)) γ , where γ>0 depends on D and the number of massless scalars. Thus, as long as 4 ' t arbitrarily large. Finally we present the results of numerical calculations of Σ(t) for all negative t.

  16. On the field/string theory approach to theta dependence in large N Yang-Mills theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gabadadze, Gregory

    1999-01-01

    The theta dependence of the vacuum energy in large N Yang-Mills theory has been studied some time ago by Witten using a duality of large N gauge theories with the string theory compactified on a certain space-time. We show that within the field theory context vacuum fluctuations of the topological charge give rise to the vacuum energy consistent with the string theory computation. Furthermore, we calculate 1/N suppressed corrections to the string theory result. The reconciliation of the string and field theory approaches is based on the fact that the gauge theory instantons carry zerobrane charge in the corresponding D-brane construction of Yang-Mills theory. Given the formula for the vacuum energy we study certain aspects of stability of the false vacua of the model for different realizations of the initial conditions. The vacuum structure appears to be different depending on whether N is infinite or, alternatively, large but finite

  17. Noncritical String Liouville Theory and Geometric Bootstrap Hypothesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadasz, Leszek; Jaskólski, Zbigniew

    The applications of the existing Liouville theories for the description of the longitudinal dynamics of noncritical Nambu-Goto string are analyzed. We show that the recently developed DOZZ solution to the Liouville theory leads to the cut singularities in tree string amplitudes. We propose a new version of the Polyakov geometric approach to Liouville theory and formulate its basic consistency condition — the geometric bootstrap equation. Also in this approach the tree amplitudes develop cut singularities.

  18. The search for higher symmetry in string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Witten, E [Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ (USA)

    1989-11-17

    Some remarks are made about the nature and role of the search for higher symmetry in string theory. These symmetries are most likely to be uncovered in a mysterious 'unbroken phase', for which (2+1)-dimensional gravity provides an interesting and soluble model. New insights about conformal field theory, in which one gets 'out of flatland' to see a wider symmetry from a higher-dimensional vantage point, may offer clues to the unbroken phase of string theory. (author).

  19. de Sitter Space in Non-Critical String Theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silverstein, Eva M

    2002-08-13

    Supercritical string theories in D > 10 dimensions with no moduli are described, generalizing the asymmetric orientifold construction of one of the authors [1]. By taking the number of dimensions to be large and turning on fluxes, dilaton potentials are generated with nontrivial minima at arbitrarily small cosmological constant and D-dimensional string coupling, separated by a barrier from a flat-space linear dilaton region, but possibly suffering from strong coupling problems. The general issue of the decay of a de Sitter vacuum to flat space is discussed. For relatively small barriers, such decays are described by gravitational instantons. It is shown that for a sufficiently large potential barrier, the bubble wall crosses the horizon. At the same time the instanton decay time exceeds the Poincare recurrence time. It is argued that the inclusion of such instantons is neither physically meaningful nor consistent with basic principles such as causality. This raises the possibility that such de Sitter vacua are effectively stable. In the case of the supercritical flux models, decays to the linear dilaton region can be forbidden by such large barriers, but decays to lower flux vacua including AdS minima nevertheless proceed consistently with this criterion. These models provide concrete examples in which cosmological constant reduction by flux relaxation can be explored.

  20. Zk string fluxes and monopole confinement in non-Abelian theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kneipp, Marco A.C.; Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas

    2002-11-01

    Recently we considered N = 2 Super Yang-Mills with a mass breaking term and showed the existence of BPS Z k -string solutions for arbitrary simple gauge groups which are spontaneously broken to non-Abelian residual gauge groups. We also calculated their string tensions exactly. In doing so, we have considered in particular the hyper multiplet in the representation of a diquark condensate. In the present work we shall analyze some of the different phases of the theory and find that the magnetic fluxes of the monopoles and Z k strings of the theory are proportional to one another, allowing for monopole confinement in one of the phase transitions of the theory. Then we will calculate the threshold length for a string to break in a new pair of monopole-anti monopole. We will further show that some of the resulting confining theories can obtained by adding a deformation term to N 2 or N = 4 superconformal theories and, as such, may satisfy a gauge/string correspondence. (author)

  1. Aspects of type $0$ string theory

    CERN Document Server

    Blumenhagen, R; Kumar, A; Lüst, Dieter

    2000-01-01

    A construction of compact tachyon-free orientifolds of the non-supersymmetric Type 0B string theory is presented. Moreover, we study effective non-supersymmetric gauge theories arising on self-dual D3-branes in Type 0B orbifolds and orientifolds.

  2. The enhancon mechanism in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jarv, Laur

    2002-01-01

    The enhancon mechanism is a specific phenomenon in string theory which resolves a certain naked spacetime singularity arising in the supergravity description related to N = 2 supersymmetric pure gauge theory. After reviewing the problem of singularities in general relativity as well as in string theory, and discussing the prototypical enhancon example constructed by wrapping D6-branes on a K3 surface, the thesis presents three generalisations to this static spherically symmetric case pertaining to large N SU(N) gauge theory. First we will use orientifolds to show how the enhancon mechanism also works in similar situations related to SO(2N+1), USp(2N) and SO(2N) gauge theories. Second we will wrap D-brane distributions on K3 to obtain the enhancon in oblate, toroidal and prolate shapes. Third we will study a rotating enhancon configuration and consider its implications for the black hole entropy and the second law of thermodynamics. (author)

  3. Conformal tension in string theories and M-theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barros, Manuel; Ferrandez, Angel; Lucas, Pascual

    2000-01-01

    This paper deals with string theories and M-theories on backgrounds of the form AdSxM,M being a compact principal U(1)-bundle. These configurations are the natural settings to study Hopf T-dualities (Duff et al., Nucl. Phys. B 544 (1999) 145), and so to define duality chains connecting different string theories and M-theories. There is an increasing great interest in studying those properties (physical or geometrical) which are preserved along the duality chains. For example, it is known that Hopf T-dualities preserve the black hole entropies (Duff et al., Nucl. Phys. B 544 (1999) 145). In this paper we consider a two-parameter family of actions which constitutes a natural variation of the conformal total tension action (also known as Willmore-Chen functional in differential geometry). Then, we show that the existence of wide families of solutions (in particular compact solutions) for the corresponding motion equations is preserved along those duality chains. In particular, we exhibit ample classes of Willmore-Chen submanifolds with a reasonable degree of symmetry in a wide variety of conformal string theories and conformal M-theories, that in addition are solutions of a second variational problem known as the area-volume isoperimetric problem. These are good reasons to refer those submanifolds as the best worlds one can find in a conformal universe. The method we use to obtain this invariant under Hopf T-dualities is based on the principle of symmetric criticality. However, it is used in a two-fold sense. First to break symmetry and so to reduce variables. Second to gain rigidity in direct approaches to integrate the Euler-Lagrange equations. The existence of generalized elastic curves is also important in the explicit exhibition of those configurations. The relationship between solutions and elasticae can be regarded as a holographic property

  4. Introduction to conformal field theory and string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dixon, L.J.

    1989-12-01

    These lectures are meant to provide a brief introduction to conformal field theory (CFT) and string theory for those with no prior exposure to the subjects. There are many excellent reviews already available, and most of these go in to much more detail than I will be able to here. 52 refs., 11 figs

  5. Dynamical black holes in low-energy string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aniceto, Pedro [Departamento de Matemática, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa,Avenida Rovisco Pais 1, 1049 Lisboa (Portugal); Rocha, Jorge V. [Departament de Física Quàntica i Astrofísica, Institut de Ciències del Cosmos (ICCUB),Universitat de Barcelona,Martí i Franquès 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain)

    2017-05-08

    We investigate time-dependent spherically symmetric solutions of the four-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell-axion-dilaton system, with the dilaton coupling that occurs in low-energy effective heterotic string theory. A class of dilaton-electrovacuum radiating solutions with a trivial axion, previously found by Güven and Yörük, is re-derived in a simpler manner and its causal structure is clarified. It is shown that such dynamical spacetimes featuring apparent horizons do not possess a regular light-like past null infinity or future null infinity, depending on whether they are radiating or accreting. These solutions are then extended in two ways. First we consider a Vaidya-like generalisation, which introduces a null dust source. Such spacetimes are used to test the status of cosmic censorship in the context of low-energy string theory. We prove that — within this family of solutions — regular black holes cannot evolve into naked singularities by accreting null dust, unless standard energy conditions are violated. Secondly, we employ S-duality to derive new time-dependent dyon solutions with a nontrivial axion turned on. Although they share the same causal structure as their Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton counterparts, these solutions possess both electric and magnetic charges.

  6. Towards a UV completion of chameleons in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hinterbichler, Kurt; Khoury, Justin; Nastase, Horatiu

    2011-01-01

    Full text: Chameleons are scalar fields that couple directly to ordinary matter with gravitational strength, thus effectively modifying the gravitational interaction, but which nevertheless evade the stringent constraints on tests of gravity because of properties they acquire in the presence of high ambient matter density. In the original formulation, one could simply describe the modification as the scalar mass depending on the matter density, but in the general set-up one can have a more complicated description. In any case, chameleon theories were originally constructed in a bottom-up, phenomenological fashion, with potentials and matter couplings designed to hide the scalar from experiments. We now show that it is in general possible for chameleons to arise in string and supergravity theories, as the volume modulus (for extra dimensions). We consider as a general chameleon set-up a potential for the volume modulus with a minimum, i.e. stabilized, and an exponentially increasing form on the side of large volume. We show that in fact the scenario proposed within string theory by Kachru, Kallosh, Linde and Trivedi (KKLT) is of this type, provided we change the sign of the exponent a in the superpotential W = W 0 + Ae iap (such a change has been considered before even within the KKLT scenario, and also in general compactifications). We show that these chameleon models satisfy Earth and astrophysical constraints, thus finding experimental constraints on the parameters of the potential, both for the general case, and for KKLT. For the KKLT potential, the constraints imply a KK scale (for the extra dimensions) of about 10 11 GeV , and the constant term in the superpotential of about 10 -30 M P 3 . (author)

  7. On the geometrical approach to the relativistic string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbashov, B.M.; Nesterenko, V.V.

    1978-01-01

    In a geometrical approach to the string theory in the four-dimensional Minkowski space the relativistic invariant gauge proposed earlier for the string moving in three-dimensional space-time is used. In contrast to the results of previous paper the system of equations for the coefficients of the fundamental forms of the string model world sheet can be reduced now to one nonlinear Lionville equation again but for a complex valued function u. It is shown that in the case of space-time with arbitrary dimension there are such string motions which are described by one non-linear equation with a real function u. And as a consequence the soliton solutions investigated earlier take place in a geometrical approach to the string theory in any dimensional space-time

  8. Developing the covariant Batalin-Vilkovisky approach to string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hata, H.; Zwiebach, B.

    1994-01-01

    In this work the authors investigate the variation of the string field action under changes of the string field vertices giving rise to different decompositions of the moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces. The authors establish that any such change in the string action arises from a field transformation canonical with respect to the Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) antibracket and find the explicit form of the generator of the infinitesimal transformations. Two theories using different decompositions of moduli space are shown to yield the same gauge-fixed action upon use of different gauge-fixing conditions. The authors also elaborate on recent work on the covariant BV formalism, and emphasize the necessity of a measure in the space of two-dimensional field theories in order to extend a recent analysis of background independence to quantum string field theory. 22 refs., 2 figs

  9. One-loop masses of open-string scalar fields in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kitazawa, Noriaki

    2008-01-01

    In phenomenological models with D-branes, there are in general open-string massless scalar fields, in addition to closed-string massless moduli fields corresponding to the compactification. It is interesting to focus on the fate of such scalar fields in models with broken supersymmetry, because no symmetry forbids their masses. The one-loop effect may give non-zero masses to them, and in some cases mass squared may become negative, which means the radiative gauge symmetry breaking. In this article we investigate and propose a simple method for calculating the one-loop corrections using the boundary state formalism. There are two categories of massless open-string scalar fields. One consists the gauge potential fields corresponding to compactified directions, which can be understood as scalar fields in uncompactified space-time (related with Wilson line degrees of freedom). The other consists 'gauge potential fields' corresponding to transverse directions of D-brane, which emerge as scalar fields in D-brane world-volume (related with brane moduli fields). The D-brane boundary states with constant backgrounds of these scalar fields are constructed, and one-loop scalar masses are calculated in the closed string picture. Explicit calculations are given in the following four concrete models: one D25-brane with a circle compactification in bosonic string theory, one D9-brane with a circle compactification in superstring theory, D3-branes at a supersymmetric C 3 /Z 3 orbifold singularity, and a model of brane supersymmetry breaking with D3-branes and anti-D7-branes at a supersymmetric C 3 /Z 3 orbifold singularity. We show that the sign of the mass squared has a strong correlation with the sign of the related open-string one-loop vacuum amplitude.

  10. High-energy symmetries of string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee Jenchi.

    1990-01-01

    The author studies the high-energy symmetry structure of string theory corresponding to the massive excitations of the string. These enlarged gauge symmetries are closely related to the existence of zero-norm states in the string spectrum. He has derived these symmetries in the framework of the Hamiltonian version of the first-quantized generalized σ-model formalism. It is conjectured that these infinite space-time symmetry structures could shed light on the finiteness of string perturbation theory. Two interesting phenomena were discovered for these massive states symmetries. One is the inter-'spin' symmetry for the different 'spin' states at each fixed mass level. Specifically, the four physical propagating states with 'spins' up to six of the second massive level of the closed bosonic string are found to form a large gauge multiplet. This is demonstrated by the existence of gauge transformations induced by the type II zero-norm states at this mass level. It is argued that this is a σ-model three loop result for the second massive level and is a general feature for higher massive levels at each fixed mass. The other one is the decoupling of some degenerate positive-norm states. As an example, he explicitly demonstrates that the 'spin' two and scalar physical propagating fields of the third massive level of the open bosonic string are mere gauge artifacts of the higher 'spin' fields at the same mass level. It is conjectured that this phenomenon comes from the well-known ambiguity in defining the positive-norm states due to the existence of zero-norm states in the same Young representation

  11. Supersymmetric Gödel Universes in string theory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Harmark, Troels; Takayanagi, Tadashi

    2003-01-01

    Supersymmetric backgrounds in string and M-theory of the Gödel Universe type are studied. We find several new Gödel Universes that preserve up to 20 supersymmetries. In particular, we obtain an interesting Gödel Universe in M-theory with 18 supersymmetries which does not seem to be dual to a pp......-wave. We show that not only T-duality but also the type-IIA/M-theory S-duality can give supersymmetric Gödel Universes from pp-waves. We find solutions that can interpolate between Gödel Universes and pp-waves. We also compute the string spectrum on two type IIA Gödel Universes. Furthermore, we obtain...

  12. Two-dimensional topological field theories coupled to four-dimensional BF theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montesinos, Merced; Perez, Alejandro

    2008-01-01

    Four-dimensional BF theory admits a natural coupling to extended sources supported on two-dimensional surfaces or string world sheets. Solutions of the theory are in one to one correspondence with solutions of Einstein equations with distributional matter (cosmic strings). We study new (topological field) theories that can be constructed by adding extra degrees of freedom to the two-dimensional world sheet. We show how two-dimensional Yang-Mills degrees of freedom can be added on the world sheet, producing in this way, an interactive (topological) theory of Yang-Mills fields with BF fields in four dimensions. We also show how a world sheet tetrad can be naturally added. As in the previous case the set of solutions of these theories are contained in the set of solutions of Einstein's equations if one allows distributional matter supported on two-dimensional surfaces. These theories are argued to be exactly quantizable. In the context of quantum gravity, one important motivation to study these models is to explore the possibility of constructing a background-independent quantum field theory where local degrees of freedom at low energies arise from global topological (world sheet) degrees of freedom at the fundamental level

  13. Non-associativity in non-geometric string and M-theory backgrounds, the algebra of octonions, and missing momentum modes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Günaydin, Murat [Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, Physics Department,Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Lüst, Dieter [Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics, Department für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstraße 37, 80333 München (Germany); Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, Werner-Heisenberg-Institut, Föhringer Ring 6, 80805 München (Germany); Malek, Emanuel [Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics, Department für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstraße 37, 80333 München (Germany)

    2016-11-07

    We propose a non-associative phase space algebra for M-theory backgrounds with locally non-geometric fluxes based on the non-associative algebra of octonions. Our proposal is based on the observation that the non-associative algebra of the non-geometric R-flux background in string theory can be obtained by a proper contraction of the simple Malcev algebra generated by imaginary octonions. Furthermore, by studying a toy model of a four-dimensional locally non-geometric M-theory background which is dual to a twisted torus, we show that the non-geometric background is “missing” a momentum mode. The resulting seven-dimensional phase space can thus be naturally identified with the imaginary octonions. This allows us to interpret the full uncontracted algebra of imaginary octonions as the uplift of the string theory R-flux algebra to M-theory, with the contraction parameter playing the role of the string coupling constant g{sub s}.

  14. sigma model approach to the heterotic string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sen, A.

    1985-09-01

    Relation between the equations of motion for the massless fields in the heterotic string theory, and the conformal invariance of the sigma model describing the propagation of the heterotic string in arbitrary background massless fields is discussed. It is emphasized that this sigma model contains complete information about the string theory. Finally, we discuss the extension of the Hull-Witten proof of local gauge and Lorentz invariance of the sigma-model to higher order in α', and the modification of the transformation laws of the antisymmetric tensor field under these symmetries. Presence of anomaly in the naive N = 1/2 supersymmetry transformation is also pointed out in this context. 12 refs

  15. String theory and applications to phenomenology and cosmology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Florakis, I.G.

    2011-07-01

    This thesis treats applications of String Theory to problems of cosmology and high energy phenomenology. In particular, we investigate problems related to the description of the initial state of the universe, using the methods of perturbative String Theory. After a review of the string-theoretic tools that will be employed, we discuss a novel degeneracy symmetry between the bosonic and fermionic massive towers of states (MSDS symmetry), living at particular points of moduli space. We study the marginal deformations of MSDS vacua and exhibit their natural thermal interpretation, in connection with the resolution of the Hagedorn divergences of string thermodynamics. The cosmological evolution of a special, 2-dimensional thermal 'Hybrid' model is presented and the correct implementation of the full stringy degrees of freedom leads to the absence of gravitational singularities, within a fully perturbative treatment. (author)

  16. New gauge symmetries in Witten's Ramond string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kugo, Taichiro; Terao, Haruhiko

    1988-01-01

    Witten's Raymond string field theory is observed to possess new gauge symmetries, which guarantee the consistency and the equivalence of Witten's theory to the other formulation based on the constrained string field. The projection operator into the gauge-invariant sector is explicitly constructed using an operator similar to the picture changing operator. (orig.)

  17. Constructing 5d orbifold grand unified theories from heterotic strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobayashi, Tatsuo; Raby, Stuart; Zhang Renjie

    2004-01-01

    A three-generation Pati-Salam model is constructed by compactifying the heterotic string on a particular T 6 /Z 6 Abelian symmetric orbifold with two discrete Wilson lines. The compactified space is taken to be the Lie algebra lattice G 2 -bar SU(3)-bar SO(4). When one dimension of the SO(4) lattice is large compared to the string scale, this model reproduces many features of a 5d SO(10) grand unified theory compactified on an S 1 /Z 2 orbifold. (Of course, with two large extra dimensions we can obtain a 6d SO(10) grand unified theory.) We identify the orbifold parities and other ingredients of the orbifold grand unified theories in the string model. Our construction provides a UV completion of orbifold grand unified theories, and gives new insights into both field theoretical and string theoretical constructions

  18. P-adic space-time and string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volovich, I.V.

    1987-01-01

    Arguments for the possibility of a p-adic structure of space-time are advanced. The p-adic analog of the Veneziano amplitude is proposed, and this permits a start to be made on the construction of the theory of p-adic strings. The same questions are considered over Galois fields, for which the analog of the Veneziano amplitude is a Jacobi sum that can be expressed in terms of p-adic cohomologies of Fermat curves. An explicit expression for the vertex operator of the corresponding string theory is given

  19. Butterfly tachyons in vacuum string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matlock, Peter

    2003-01-01

    We use geometrical conformal field theory methods to investigate tachyon fluctuations about the butterfly projector state in vacuum string field theory. We find that the on-shell condition for the tachyon field is equivalent to the requirement that the quadratic term in the string-field action vanish on shell. This further motivates the interpretation of the butterfly state as a D-brane. We begin a calculation of the tension of the butterfly, and conjecture that this will match the case of the sliver and further strengthen this interpretation

  20. On Climbing Scalars in String Theory

    CERN Document Server

    Dudas, E; Sagnotti, A

    2010-01-01

    In string models with "brane supersymmetry breaking" exponential potentials emerge at (closed-string) tree level but are not accompanied by tachyons. Potentials of this type have long been a source of embarrassment in flat space, but can have interesting implications for Cosmology. For instance, in ten dimensions the logarithmic slope |V'/V| lies precisely at a "critical" value where the Lucchin--Matarrese attractor disappears while the scalar field is \\emph{forced} to climb up the potential when it emerges from the Big Bang. This type of behavior is in principle perturbative in the string coupling, persists after compactification, could have trapped scalar fields inside potential wells as a result of the cosmological evolution and could have also injected the inflationary phase of our Universe.

  1. String loop divergences and effective lagrangians

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischler, W.; Klebanov, I.; Susskind, L.

    1988-01-01

    We isolate logarithmic divergences from bosonic string amplitudes on a disc. These divergences are compared with 'tadpole' divergences in the effective field theory, with a covariant cosmological term implied by the counting of string coupling constants. We find an inconsistency between the two. This might be a problem in eliminating divergences from the bosonic string. (orig.)

  2. Description of hadrons using string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugimoto, Shigeki

    2013-01-01

    We give a brief overview of 'holographic QCD' for JPS members. Applying the idea of gauge/string duality to QCD, We obtain a description of hadrons based on string theory. Using this description, a lot of properties of hadrons can be analyzed and the results are in reasonable agreement with the observations. We try to explain the basic idea and some of the interesting results in a way accessible to non-experts. (author)

  3. A brief history of string theory from dual models to M-theory

    CERN Document Server

    Rickles, Dean

    2014-01-01

    During its forty year lifespan, string theory has always had the power to divide, being called both a 'theory of everything' and a 'theory of nothing'. Critics have even questioned whether it qualifies as a scientific theory at all. This book adopts an objective stance, standing back from the question of the truth or falsity of string theory and instead focusing on how it came to be and how it came to occupy its present position in physics. An unexpectedly rich history is revealed, with deep connections to our most well-established physical theories. Fully self-contained and written in a lively fashion, the book will appeal to a wide variety of readers from novice to specialist.

  4. String theory constructions and conformal invariance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Govaerts, J.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports that as is rather well known, string theories are regarded nowadays by theoretical physicists as a possible framework for the Theory of Everything, or more correctly, for a consistent unified quantum theory of all particles and all their interactions, including gravity. One of the many fascinating facets of these theories is that they could make a centuries old dream come true in a most unique way. Indeed, string theories could well provide the ultimate unification of Nature: the Universe and all that it contains being made of only one fundamental object, with dynamics so rich that it leads to this infinitely large variety of physical phenomena that we observe at all energy scales in our Universe. Moreover, the mathematical structures involved in these theories are so profound and beautiful that they bring together so far unrelated fields in pure mathematics, and have led to important developments in other fields of physics as well. All of physics and all of mathematics coming together in our understanding of the world: was that not the ultimate dream of the Ancient Greeks? But, what are string theories? In the first qualitative approach of this introduction, it may be useful to contrast these theories against the more familiar description of relativistic point-particles. When a single particle propagates freely in space-time, it describes a one- dimensional manifold: its world line. In a quantum description, we associate to this process a quantum amplitude: the Feynman propagator. It is also possible to describe interactions between such particles, by defining probability amplitudes for the splitting and joining of the corresponding world-lines (a priori, the number of particles involved in any such single interaction could be arbitrary but finite)

  5. Energy momentum tensor and marginal deformations in open string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sen, Ashoke

    2004-01-01

    Marginal boundary deformations in a two dimensional conformal field theory correspond to a family of classical solutions of the equations of motion of open string field theory. In this paper we develop a systematic method for relating the parameter labelling the marginal boundary deformation in the conformal field theory to the parameter labelling the classical solution in open string field theory. This is done by first constructing the energy-momentum tensor associated with the classical solution in open string field theory using Noether method, and then comparing this to the answer obtained in the conformal field theory by analysing the boundary state. We also use this method to demonstrate that in open string field theory the tachyon lump solution on a circle of radius larger than one has vanishing pressure along the circle direction, as is expected for a co-dimension one D-brane. (author)

  6. Topological conformal algebra and BRST algebra in non-critical string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujikawa, Kazuo; Suzuki, Hiroshi.

    1991-03-01

    The operator algebra in non-critical string theories is studied by treating the cosmological term as a perturbation. The algebra of covariantly regularized BRST and related currents contains a twisted N = 2 superconformal algebra only at d = -2 in bosonic strings, and a twisted N = 3 superconformal algebra only at d = ±∞ in spinning strings. The bosonic string at d = -2 is examined by replacing the string coordinate by a fermionic matter with c = -2. The resulting bc-βγ system accommodates various forms of BRST cohomology, and the ghost number assignment and BRST cohomology are different in the c = -2 string theory and two-dimensional topological gravity. (author)

  7. Z2 vortex strings in grand unified theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olive, D.; Turok, N.

    1982-01-01

    Spontaneously broken gauge theories may display distinct vortex string solutions for the disconnected components of the exact gauge symmetry group. A type of Higgs mechanism thought to apply in grand unified theories as being responsible for fermion masses yields Z 2 vortex lines, irrespectively of the group. These could seed galaxy formation if the corresponding fermion masses are superheavy. More generally a Higgs mechanism producing Zsub(n) vortex strings is presented. (orig.)

  8. String theory and cosmological singularities

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    recent times, string theory is providing new perspectives of such singularities which .... holes appear as stacks of a large number of D-branes wrapped in internal .... results into a well-known measure factor which makes the wave function into a.

  9. Introduction to strings and superstrings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rausch de Traubenberg, M.

    1988-01-01

    The string theory is applied in the construction of a theory which allows the coupling of the four fundamental interactions and matter. The original model of the string theory describes the hadronic phenomenon of duality. The model extension, which describes the closed strings and those with a spin, is studied. The supersymmetry and the supersymmetric partner concepts are considered, in order to obtain a superstrings theory. The supersymmetry allows the formulation of a ''supertheory'', including matter, fields and gravitation. In order to explain the mass of the observable particles, the mechanism of symmetry breaking must be taken into account. The scalar state concept, originated from the supersymmetry breaking, is analyzed. This ''supertheory'' is not entirely accepted by the scientific world [fr

  10. Twisted tachyon condensation in closed string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okawa, Yuji; Zwiebach, Barton

    2004-01-01

    We consider twisted tachyons on C/Z N orbifolds of bosonic closed string theory. It has been conjectured that these tachyonic instabilities correspond to decays of the orbifolds into flat space or into orbifolds with smaller deficit angles. We examine this conjecture using closed string field theory, with the string field truncated to low-level tachyons. We compute the tachyon potentials for C/Z 2 and C/Z 3 orbifolds and find critical points at depths that generate about 70% of the expected change in the deficit angle. We find that both twisted fields and untwisted modes localized near the apex of the cone acquire vacuum expectation values and contribute to the potential. (author)

  11. Story of the string theory. From hadrons to Planck scale

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petropoulos, P.M.

    2010-01-01

    Originally the string theory was devised to describe the scattering between hadron particles but was quickly put aside by the success of the quantum chromodynamics. Now string theory appears in the quantum gravity theory and has been involved in almost all attempts to define a physics beyond the standard model and to unify basic interactions. (A.C.)

  12. Space-time versus world-sheet renormalization group equation in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brustein, R.; Roland, K.

    1991-05-01

    We discuss the relation between space-time renormalization group equation for closed string field theory and world-sheet renormalization group equation for first-quantized strings. Restricting our attention to massless states we argue that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the fixed point solutions of the two renormalization group equations. In particular, we show how to extract the Fischler-Susskind mechanism from the string field theory equation in the case of the bosonic string. (orig.)

  13. String perturbation theory and effective Lagrangians

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klebanov, I.

    1987-09-01

    We isolate logarithmic divergences from bosonic string amplitudes on a disc. These divergences are compared with 'tadpole' divergences in the effective field theory with a cosmological term, which also contains an effective potential for the dilation. Also, corrections to β-functions are compared with variations of the effective action. In both cases we find an inconsistency between the two. This is a serious problem which could undermine our ability to remove divergences from the bosonic string

  14. New Results in {mathcal {N}}=2 N = 2 Theories from Non-perturbative String

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonelli, Giulio; Grassi, Alba; Tanzini, Alessandro

    2018-03-01

    We describe the magnetic phase of SU(N) $\\mathcal{N}=2$ Super Yang-Mills theories in the self-dual Omega background in terms of a new class of multi-cut matrix models. These arise from a non-perturbative completion of topological strings in the dual four dimensional limit which engineers the gauge theory in the strongly coupled magnetic frame. The corresponding spectral determinants provide natural candidates for the tau functions of isomonodromy problems for flat spectral connections associated to the Seiberg-Witten geometry.

  15. Cosmic strings and inflation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vishniac, E.T.

    1987-01-01

    We examine the compatibility of inflation with the cosmic string theory for galaxy formation. There is a general conflict between having sufficient string tension to effect galaxy formation, and reheating after inflation to a high enough temperature that strings may form in a thermal phase transition. To escape this conflict, we propose a class of models where the inflation is coupled to the string-producing field. The strings are formed late in inflation as the inflaton rolls towards its zero-temperature value. A large subset of these models have a novel large-scale distribution of galaxies that is fractal, displays biasing without dynamics or feedback mechanisms, and contains voids. (orig.)

  16. Brief comments on Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity coupled to Liouville theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giribet, Gaston E

    2003-06-07

    The Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity with non-vanishing cosmological constant coupled to Liouville theory is considered as a non-critical string on d dimensional flat spacetime. In terms of this interpretation of the model as a consistent string theory, it is discussed as to how the presence of a cosmological constant leads one to consider additional constraints on the parameters of the theory, even though the conformal anomaly is independent of the cosmological constant. The constraints agree with the necessary conditions required to ensure that the tachyon field turns out to be a primary prelogarithmic operator within the context of the worldsheet conformal field theory. Thus, the linearized tachyon field equation allows one to impose the diagonal condition for the interaction term. We analyse the neutralization of the Liouville mode induced by the coupling to the Jackiw-Teitelboim Lagrangian. The standard free field prescription leads one to obtain explicit expressions for three-point functions for the case of vanishing cosmological constant in terms of a product of Shapiro-Virasoro integrals; this fact is a consequence of the mentioned neutralization effect.

  17. Hawking radiation in string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakai, N.

    1986-01-01

    String theories in a uniform gravitational field are studied to examine the Hawking radiation. An upper limit is found for the strength of the possible gravitational field: the corresponding Hawking temperature cannot be larger than the Hagedorn limiting temperature divided by π

  18. String Theory on AdS Spaces

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Boer, J.

    2000-01-01

    In these notes we discuss various aspects of string theory in AdS spaces. We briefly review the formulation in terms of Green-Schwarz, NSR, and Berkovits variables, as well as the construction of exact conformal field theories with AdS backgrounds. Based on lectures given at the Kyoto YITP Workshop

  19. Towards a UV completion of chameleons in string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hinterbichler, Kurt; Khoury, Justin [University of Pennsylvania, PA (United States); Nastase, Horatiu [Instituto de Fisica Teorica (IFT/UNESP), SP (Brazil)

    2011-07-01

    Full text: Chameleons are scalar fields that couple directly to ordinary matter with gravitational strength, thus effectively modifying the gravitational interaction, but which nevertheless evade the stringent constraints on tests of gravity because of properties they acquire in the presence of high ambient matter density. In the original formulation, one could simply describe the modification as the scalar mass depending on the matter density, but in the general set-up one can have a more complicated description. In any case, chameleon theories were originally constructed in a bottom-up, phenomenological fashion, with potentials and matter couplings designed to hide the scalar from experiments. We now show that it is in general possible for chameleons to arise in string and supergravity theories, as the volume modulus (for extra dimensions). We consider as a general chameleon set-up a potential for the volume modulus with a minimum, i.e. stabilized, and an exponentially increasing form on the side of large volume. We show that in fact the scenario proposed within string theory by Kachru, Kallosh, Linde and Trivedi (KKLT) is of this type, provided we change the sign of the exponent a in the superpotential W = W{sub 0} + Ae{sup iap} (such a change has been considered before even within the KKLT scenario, and also in general compactifications). We show that these chameleon models satisfy Earth and astrophysical constraints, thus finding experimental constraints on the parameters of the potential, both for the general case, and for KKLT. For the KKLT potential, the constraints imply a KK scale (for the extra dimensions) of about 10{sup 11}GeV , and the constant term in the superpotential of about 10{sup -30}M{sub P}{sup 3}. (author)

  20. On deformations and quantization in topological string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kay, Michael

    2014-01-01

    The study of moduli spaces of N=(2,2) superconformal field theories and more generally of N=(2,2) supersymmetric quantum field theories, has been a longstanding, multifaceted area of research. In this thesis we focus on certain selected general aspects of this study and develop general techniques within the framework of topological string theory. This work is naturally divided into two parts. The first is concerned with aspects of closed topological string theory, and culminates with a theory, where the geometrical structure of the topological anti-topological moduli spaces of N=(2,2) superconformal field theories with central charge c=9 is rediscovered in the light of quantization, within a general framework. The second part is concerned with aspects of the study of the open and closed moduli space of topological conformal field theories at genus zero. In particular, it contains an exposition of a paper, where general results on the classification and computation of bulk-induced deformations of open topological conformal field theories were obtained from a coherent algebraic approach, drawing from the defining L ∞ and A ∞ structures involved. In part, the latter investigation is restricted to arbitrary affine B-twisted Landau Ginzburg models. Subsequently, further original work is presented that completes the topological string field theory structure of B-twisted Landau Ginzburg models.

  1. On the short distance behavior of string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guida, R.; Konishi, K.; Provero, P.

    1991-01-01

    Short distance behavior of string theories is investigated by the use of the discretized path-integral formulation. In particular, the minimum physical length and the generalized uncertainty relation are re-derived from a set of Ward-Takahashi identities. In this paper several issues related to the form of the generalized uncertainty relation and to its implications are discussed. A consistent qualitative picture of short distance behavior of string theory seems to emerge from such a study

  2. Consistent superstrings as solutions of the D=26 bosonic string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Casher, A.; Englert, F.; Nicolai, H.; Taormina, A.

    1985-01-01

    Consistent closed ten-dimensional superstrings, i.e. the two N=2 superstrings, are contained in the 26-dimensional bosonic closed string theory. The latter thus appears as the fundamental string theory. (orig.)

  3. Novel string field theory with also negative energy constituents/objects gives Veneziano amplitude

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, H. B.; Ninomiya, M.

    2018-02-01

    We have proposed a new type of string field theory. The main point of the present article is to cure some technical troubles: missing two out three terms in Veneziano amplitude. Our novel string field theory, describes a theory with many strings in terms of "objects", which are not exactly, but close to Charles Thorn's string bits. The new point is that the objects in terms of which the universe states are constructed, and which have an essentially 26-momentum variable called J μ , can have the energy J 0 be also negative as well as positive. We get a long way in deriving in this model the Veneziano model and obtain all the three terms needed for a four point amplitude. This result strongly indicates that our novel string field theory is indeed string theory.

  4. String GUTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aldazabal, G.; Ibanez, L.E.; Uranga, A.M.

    1995-01-01

    Standard SUSY-GUTs such as those based on SU(5) or SO(10) lead to predictions for the values of α s and sin 2 θ W in amazing agreement with experiment. In this article we investigate how these models may be obtained from string theory, thus bringing them into the only known consistent framework for quantum gravity. String models with matter in standard GUT representations require the realization of affine Lie algebras at higher levels. We start by describing some methods to build level k=2 symmetric orbifold string models with gauge groups SU(5) or SO(10). We present several examples and identify generic features of the type of models constructed. Chiral fields appropriate to break the symmetry down to the standard model generically appear in the massless spectrum. However, unlike in standard SUSY-GUTs, they often behave as string moduli, i.e., they do not have self-couplings. We also discuss briefly the doublet-triplet Higgs splitting. We find that, in some models, built-in sliding-singlet type of couplings exist. (orig.)

  5. The ABCDEFG of Little Strings

    OpenAIRE

    Haouzi, Nathan; Kozçaz, Can

    2017-01-01

    Starting from type IIB string theory on an $ADE$ singularity, the (2,0) little string arises when one takes the string coupling $g_s$ to 0. In this setup, we give a unified description of the codimension-two defects of the little string, for any simple Lie algebra ${\\mathfrak{g}}$. Geometrically, these are D5 branes wrapping 2-cycles of the singularity. Equivalently, the defects are specified by a certain set of weights of $^L {\\mathfrak{g}}$, the Langlands dual of ${\\mathfrak{g}}$. As a firs...

  6. Bosonic Liouville string theory in conformal gauge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schnittger, J.

    1990-01-01

    The object of the present thesis are the so-called Liouville theories as possibilities for the consistent formulation of string theories beyond the critical dimension. First we discuss the general framework for the quantum theory and explain common properties and differences of different approaches. These considerations lead us to the main demand of the thesis, the formulation of a unified quantum theory for open and closed strings. Of central importance is thereby the construction of the field operator for the Weyl degree of freedom on a suitably defined Hilbert space, so that also in the quantum theory locality and Hermiticity of the Energy-Momentum tensor are respected. In the study of the allowed ground states of the Hilbert space an interesting particularity in comparison to the structure of usual conformal field theories comes across, the importance and consequences of which we intensively study. In the last section we enter the consistence of the theory on the 1-loop level and come then to the final consideration, where we indicate some still open questions of the Liouville theory. (orig.) [de

  7. Vacua and inflation in string theory and supergravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rummel, Markus

    2013-07-01

    We study the connection between the early and late accelerated expansion of the universe and string theory. In Part I of this thesis, the observational degeneracy between single field models of inflation with canonical kinetic terms and noncanonical kinetic terms, in particular string theory inspired models, is discussed. The 2-point function observables of a given non-canonical theory and its canonical transform that is obtained by matching the inflationary trajectories in phase space are found to match in the case of Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) inflation. At the level of the 3-point function observables (non-Gaussianities), we find degeneracy between non-canonical inflation and canonical inflation with a potential that includes a sum of modulated terms. In Part II, we present explicit examples for de Sitter vacua in type IIB string theory. After deriving a sufficient condition for de Sitter vacua in the Kahler uplifting scenario, we show that a globally consistent de Sitter model can be realized on a certain Calabi-Yau manifold. All geometric moduli are stabilized and all known consistency constraints are fulfilled. The complex structure moduli stabilization by fluxes is studied explicitly for a small number of cycles. Extrapolating to a larger number of flux carrying cycles, we verify statistical studies in the literature which show that, in principle, the string landscape can account for a universe with an extremely small cosmological constant.

  8. Vacua and inflation in string theory and supergravity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rummel, Markus

    2013-07-15

    We study the connection between the early and late accelerated expansion of the universe and string theory. In Part I of this thesis, the observational degeneracy between single field models of inflation with canonical kinetic terms and noncanonical kinetic terms, in particular string theory inspired models, is discussed. The 2-point function observables of a given non-canonical theory and its canonical transform that is obtained by matching the inflationary trajectories in phase space are found to match in the case of Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) inflation. At the level of the 3-point function observables (non-Gaussianities), we find degeneracy between non-canonical inflation and canonical inflation with a potential that includes a sum of modulated terms. In Part II, we present explicit examples for de Sitter vacua in type IIB string theory. After deriving a sufficient condition for de Sitter vacua in the Kahler uplifting scenario, we show that a globally consistent de Sitter model can be realized on a certain Calabi-Yau manifold. All geometric moduli are stabilized and all known consistency constraints are fulfilled. The complex structure moduli stabilization by fluxes is studied explicitly for a small number of cycles. Extrapolating to a larger number of flux carrying cycles, we verify statistical studies in the literature which show that, in principle, the string landscape can account for a universe with an extremely small cosmological constant.

  9. Symmetries of string, M- and F-theories

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bergshoeff, Eric; Proeyen, Antoine Van

    2001-01-01

    The d = 10 type II string theories, d = 11 M-theory and d = 12 F-theory have the same symmetry group. It can be viewed either as a subgroup of a conformal group OSp(1|64) or as a contraction of OSp(1|32). The theories are related by different identifications of their symmetry operators as generators

  10. Non-supersymmetric matrix strings from generalized Yang-Mills theory on arbitrary Riemann surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Billo, M.; D'Adda, A.; Provero, P.

    2000-01-01

    We quantize pure 2d Yang-Mills theory on an arbitrary Riemann surface in the gauge where the field strength is diagonal. Twisted sectors originate, as in Matrix string theory, from permutations of the eigenvalues around homotopically non-trivial loops. These sectors, that must be discarded in the usual quantization due to divergences occurring when two eigenvalues coincide, can be consistently kept if one modifies the action by introducing a coupling of the field strength to the space-time curvature. This leads to a generalized Yang-Mills theory whose action reduces to the usual one in the limit of zero curvature. After integrating over the non-diagonal components of the gauge fields, the theory becomes a free string theory (sum over unbranched coverings) with a U(1) gauge theory on the world-sheet. This is shown to be equivalent to a lattice theory with a gauge group which is the semi-direct product of S N and U(1) N . By using well known results on the statistics of coverings, the partition function on arbitrary Riemann surfaces and the kernel functions on surfaces with boundaries are calculated. Extensions to include branch points and non-abelian groups on the world-sheet are briefly commented upon

  11. Monads, strings, and M theory

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hofman, C.; Park, J.-S.

    1997-01-01

    The recent developmen ts in string theory suggest that the space-time coordinates should be generalized to non-comm uting matrices. P ostulating this suggestion as the fun- damen tal geometrical principle, w e form ulate a candidate for covariant second quantized RNS superstrings as a topological

  12. Bosonization methods in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdalla, E.

    1988-02-01

    The use of bosonization/fermionization techniques to convert non-linear operators of the dual, is discussed. Non abelian bosonization to the case where the central charge of the Kac-Moody algebra is not unity, is generalized. In particular, using this generalization of non-abelian bosonization, the bosonic string vertex of the compactified theory; turns out to be fundamental field of thre fermionic theory, or bound states of it thus permiting explicit computations easily. (author) [pt

  13. The tachyon potential in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banks, T.

    1991-01-01

    We argue that the tachyon potential in string theory is exactly given by the unstable quadratic mass term calculated perturbatively around the critical string. The argument is given in terms of the sigma model formulation. The same result follows from the exact Wilson renormalization group equations. The discrepancy with previous calculations of the tachyon potential is explained by the fact that other authors worked near the tachyon mass shell where it is impossible to distinguish a potential from derivative terms in the effective action. (orig.)

  14. Lectures on interacting string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jevicki, A.

    1986-09-01

    We give a detailed review of the current formulations of interacting string field theory. The historical development of the subject is taken beginning with the old dual resonance model theory. The light cone approach is reviewed in some detail with emphasis on conformal mapping techniques. Witten's covariant approach is presented. The main body of the lectures concentrates on developing the operator formulation of Witten's theory. 38 refs., 22 figs., 5 tabs

  15. Differential geometry of groups in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmidke, W.B. Jr.

    1990-09-01

    Techniques from differential geometry and group theory are applied to two topics from string theory. The first topic studied is quantum groups, with the example of GL (1|1). The quantum group GL q (1|1) is introduced, and an exponential description is derived. The algebra and coproduct are determined using the invariant differential calculus method introduced by Woronowicz and generalized by Wess and Zumino. An invariant calculus is also introduced on the quantum superplane, and a representation of the algebra of GL q (1|1) in terms of the super-plane coordinates is constructed. The second topic follows the approach to string theory introduced by Bowick and Rajeev. Here the ghost contribution to the anomaly of the energy-momentum tensor is calculated as the Ricci curvature of the Kaehler quotient space Diff(S 1 )/S 1 . We discuss general Kaehler quotient spaces and derive an expression for their Ricci curvatures. Application is made to the string and superstring diffeomorphism groups, considering all possible choices of subgroup. The formalism is extended to associated holomorphic vector bundles, where the Ricci curvature corresponds to the anomaly for different ghost sea levels. 26 refs

  16. On the consistency and high-energy behavior of string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mende, P.F.

    1988-01-01

    In Part I, it is shown that the heterotic string is free of gauge and gravitational anomalies by showing that (a) unless the gauge group is E S x E S or Spin(32)/Z 2 or a subgroup, the internal sector partition function vanishes so there is no consistent theory; and (b) for E 8 x E 8 and Spin(32)/Z 2 compactifications, the longitudinal modes of the massless gauge particles decouple, as required by gauge invariance. We discuss the geometric interpretation for string theory when the action is invariant under a modular subgroup. In Part II, the high-energy behavior of string scattering amplitudes is studied to all orders in perturbation theory, with the aim of exploring the short-distance structure of string theory. It is shown that the sum over all Riemann surfaces is dominated by a saddle point. Consequently, the high-energy limit is universal and simple to calculate. In this limit the amplitudes fall off much faster than allowed by field theory. The dominant saddle points are identified as coming from world sheets which are Z G+1 symmetric algebraic curves, and their contribution to the scattering amplitude is evaluated for the bosonic to all orders and for the heterotic string to two-loop order. An interesting spacetime picture of the high-energy limit emerges. The issue of summing the perturbation expansion is addressed

  17. Counting dyons in N=4 string theory

    CERN Document Server

    Dijkgraaf, R; Verlinde, Herman L

    1997-01-01

    We present a microscopic index formula for the degeneracy of dyons in four-dimensional N=4 string theory. This counting formula is manifestly symmetric under the duality group, and its asymptotic growth reproduces the macroscopic Bekenstein-Hawking entropy. We give a derivation of this result in terms of the type II five-brane compactified on K3, by assuming that its fluctuations are described by a closed string theory on its world-volume. We find that the degeneracies are given in terms of the denominator of a generalized super Kac-Moody algebra. We also discuss the correspondence of this result with the counting of D-brane states.

  18. String theory and cosmological singularities

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Well-known examples are singularities inside black holes and initial or final singularities in expanding or contracting universes. In recent times, string theory is providing new perspectives of such singularities which may lead to an understanding of these in the standard framework of time evolution in quantum mechanics.

  19. On quantization of relativistic string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isaev, A.P.

    1982-01-01

    Quantization of the relativistic string theory based on methods of the constrained Hamiltonian systems quantization is considered. Connections of this approach and Polyakov's quantization are looked. New representation of a loop heat kernel is obtained

  20. Jet quenching parameters in strongly coupled nonconformal gauge theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buchel, Alex

    2006-01-01

    Recently Liu, Rajagopal, and Wiedemann (LRW) [H. Liu, K. Rajagopal, and U. A. Wiedemann, hep-ph/0605178.] proposed a first principle, nonperturbative quantum field theoretic definition of 'jet quenching parameter' q-circumflex used in models of medium-induced radiative parton energy loss in nucleus-nucleus collisions at RHIC. Relating q-circumflex to a short-distance behavior of a certain lightlike Wilson loop, they used gauge theory-string theory correspondence to evaluate q-circumflex for the strongly coupled N=4 SU(N c ) gauge theory plasma. We generalize analysis of LRW to strongly coupled nonconformal gauge theory plasma. We find that a jet quenching parameter is gauge theory specific (not universal). Furthermore, it appears its value increases as the number of effective adjoint degrees of freedom of a gauge theory plasma increases

  1. Antisymmetric tensor Zp gauge symmetries in field theory and string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berasaluce-González, Mikel; Ramírez, Guillermo; Uranga, Angel M.

    2014-01-01

    We consider discrete gauge symmetries in D dimensions arising as remnants of broken continuous gauge symmetries carried by general antisymmetric tensor fields, rather than by standard 1-forms. The lagrangian for such a general Z p gauge theory can be described in terms of a r-form gauge field made massive by a (r−1)-form, or other dual realizations, that we also discuss. The theory contains charged topological defects of different dimensionalities, generalizing the familiar charged particles and strings in D=4. We describe realizations in string theory compactifications with torsion cycles, or with background field strength fluxes. We also provide examples of non-abelian discrete groups, for which the group elements are associated with charged objects of different dimensionality

  2. The sewing technique for strings and conformal field theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Vecchia, P.

    1989-01-01

    We discuss recent results obtained from the sewing procedure for strings and conformal field theories. They are summarized by the N Point [String] g loop Vertex V N;g , that is the 'generating functional' of all correlation functions [scattering amplitudes] of the theory on a genus g Riemann surface. We discuss V N;g for free bosonic theory with arbitrary background charge and for fermionic and bosonic bc systems. By saturating those vertices with highest weight states we obtain in a simple way the correlation functions of the corresponding primary fields on genus g Riemann surfaces that reproduce known results including the correlation functions of a bosonic bc system, that present a number of peculiarities. We construct also V N;g for the bosonic and fermionic string. In particular this technique allows one to explicitly construct the measure of integration over the moduli and to study the various pinching limits in order to check the finiteness of superstring theories. (orig.)

  3. De Sitter universes and the emerging landscape in string theory

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    We discuss a recent proposal to construct de Sitter vacua in string theory. It is based on flux compactifications in string theory where all the moduli are stabilised and supersymmetry is broken with control. The resulting picture is that of a complicated landscape with many vacua of widely varying values for the cosmological ...

  4. Non-static local string in Brans–Dicke theory

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Abstract. A recent investigation showed that a local gauge string with a phenomenological energy momentum tensor, as prescribed by Vilenkin, is inconsistent in Brans–Dicke theory. In this work it has been shown that such a string is indeed consistent if one introduces time dependences in the metric. A set of solutions of full ...

  5. Aspects of non-geometry in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patalong, Peter

    2013-01-01

    This thesis investigates various manifestations of non-geometry in string theory. It utilises different frameworks to study how non-geometry appears in the target space, how non-geometry and non-geometric fluxes are interconnected, how non-geometry can be captured in effective field theories and how a possible extension of the standard string worldsheet model can accommodate non-geometric setups. The first part provides an example that non-geometry can imply non-commutativity of the closed string coordinate fields. Three T-dual frames are investigated, the three-torus with constant H-flux, the twisted torus and the torus with non-geometric flux Q. Under the assumption of dilute flux, a mode expansion and the canonical quantisation are carried out in the second case up to linear order in the flux parameter. T-duality is then used to relate the commutators of the string expansion modes to the coordinate field commutator in the non-geometric third frame. Non-commutativity is found and related to the non-geometric flux Q and the string winding, it therefore appears as an intrinsically string theoretic feature. The second part investigates non-geometry in the context of ten-dimensional effective field theories, i.e. double field theory and supergravity. A field redefinition is implemented that takes the form of a T-duality transformation, it reveals an alternative set of field variables allowing to define non-geometric fluxes Q and R in higher dimensions. The perspective of double field theory provides a geometric interpretation of those by taking into account a new type of covariant winding derivative. The perspective of the ten-dimensional supergravity allows to investigate the interplay between non-geometric field configurations and non-geometric fluxes. For the three-torus example, a well-defined action can be found, and a simple dimensional reduction makes contact to the known four-dimensional potential. It thus proves the correct uplift of Q and R to higher

  6. A covariant open bosonic string field theory including the endpoint and middlepoint interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, B.G.; Northwest Univ., Xian; Chen, Y.X.

    1988-01-01

    Extending the usual endpoint and midpoint interactions, we introduce numerous kinds of interactions, labelled by a parameter λ and obtain a non-commutative and associative string field algebra by adding up all interactions. With this algebra we develop a covariant open bosonic string field theory, which reduces to Witten's open bosonic string field theory under a special string length choice. (orig.)

  7. Analytic study of nonperturbative solutions in open string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bars, I.; Kishimoto, I.; Matsuo, Y.

    2003-01-01

    We propose an analytic framework to study the nonperturbative solutions of Witten's open string field theory. The method is based on the Moyal star formulation where the kinetic term can be split into two parts. The first one describes the spectrum of two identical half strings which are independent from each other. The second one, which we call midpoint correction, shifts the half string spectrum to that of the standard open string. We show that the nonlinear equation of motion of string field theory is exactly solvable at zeroth order in the midpoint correction. An infinite number of solutions are classified in terms of projection operators. Among them, there exists only one stable solution which is identical to the standard butterfly state. We include the effect of the midpoint correction around each exact zeroth order solution as a perturbation expansion which can be formally summed to the complete exact solution

  8. UV / IR mixing in noncommutative field theory via open string loops

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiem, Youngjai; Lee, Sangmin

    2000-01-01

    We explicitly evaluate one-loop (annulus) planar and nonplanar open string amplitudes in the presence of the background NS-NS two-form field. In the decoupling limit of Seiberg and Witten, we find that the nonplanar string amplitudes reproduce the UV/IR mixing of noncommutative field theories. In particular, the investigation of the UV regime of the open string amplitudes shows that certain IR closed string degrees of freedom survive the decoupling limit as previously predicted from the noncommutative field theory analysis. These degrees of freedom are responsible for the quadratic, linear and logarithmic IR singularities when the D-branes embedded in space-time have the codimension zero, one and two, respectively. The analysis is given for both bosonic and supersymmetric open strings

  9. Quark Synthesis String Theory From Dark Matter to Light Emitting Atoms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, William

    2012-10-01

    Forefather physicists formulated fusion based on nucleosynthesis. They directed that whole nucleons synthesize. Quark Synthesis String Theory now shows that it's the string-like quarks that do the synthesizing: not whole nucleons. In a dark region, string-like quarks synthesize with other string-like quarks to make rope-like quarks. Quarks structure into threesomes bound only by electrostatic and gravitational forces. Quarks not structuring as threesomes remain dark. Balanced threesomes of string-like quarks become neutrons. Balanced threesomes of rope-like quarks become more massive neutroniumA nuclei. After their formation, neutrons and neutroniumAs quickly begin emitting electrons. This paper develops equations that correctly describe nuclear structures and their electron emissions. Electron emission beta decay is calculated for the 30 least massive neutroniumA nuclei and their subsequent transmutation thru 203 intermediate nuclei on their way to becoming well known nuclei centering the 30 least massive light emitting atoms. This is a perfect 233 for 233 match between calculations of Quark Synthesis String Theory and factual nuclear data. This perfect match provides affirmation that nuclei have no need for the unknown strong or week forces and mediating particles. Nuclear physics succeeds using a string theory that has the quarks doing the synthesizing.

  10. Chiral 2d theories from N=4 SYM with varying coupling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lawrie, Craig [Institut für Theoretische Physik, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität,Philosophenweg 19, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Schäfer-Nameki, Sakura [Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford,Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG (United Kingdom); Weigand, Timo [Institut für Theoretische Physik, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität,Philosophenweg 19, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany)

    2017-04-19

    We study 2d chiral theories arising from 4d N=4 Super-Yang Mills (SYM) with varying coupling τ. The 2d theory is obtained by dimensional reduction of N=4 SYM on a complex curve with a partial topological twist that accounts for the non-constant τ. The resulting 2d theories can preserve (0,n) with n=2,4,6,8 chiral supersymmetry, and have a natural realization in terms of strings from wrapped D3-branes in F-theory. We determine the twisted dimensional reduction, as well as the spectrum and anomaly polynomials of the resulting strings in various dimensions. We complement this by considering the dual M-theory configurations, which can either be realized in terms of M5-branes wrapped on complex surfaces, or M2-branes on curves that result in 1d supersymmetric quantum mechanics.

  11. Regularized strings with extrinsic curvature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ambjoern, J.; Durhuus, B.

    1987-07-01

    We analyze models of discretized string theories, where the path integral over world sheet variables is regularized by summing over triangulated surfaces. The inclusion of curvature in the action is a necessity for the scaling of the string tension. We discuss the physical properties of models with extrinsic curvature terms in the action and show that the string tension vanishes at the critical point where the bare extrinsic curvature coupling tends to infinity. Similar results are derived for models with intrinsic curvature. (orig.)

  12. A proposal for an effective interacting field theory of open and closed strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baulieu, L.; Grossman, B.

    1987-01-01

    We propose the use of the reggeon-pomeron vertex to obtain an effective field theory for open and closed strings. We suggest that closed string fields are necessary in order to go off-shell in an open string field theory. We then find that the closed string fields satisfy the Virasoro constraints (including equal number of left and right movers) in an appropriate choice of gauge. (orig.)

  13. Closed string field theory: Quantum action and the Batalin-Vilkovsky master equation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zwiebach, B.

    1993-01-01

    The complete quantum theory of covariant closed strings is constructed in detail. The nonpolynomial action is defined by elementary vertices satisfying recursion relations that give rise to Jacobi-like identities for an infinite chain of string field products. The genus zero string field algebra is the homotopy Lie algebra L ∞ encoding the gauge symmetry of the classical theory. The higher genus algebraic structure implies the Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) master equation and thus consistent BRST quantization of the quantum action. From the L ∞ algebra, and the BV equation on the off-shell state space we derive the L ∞ algebra, and the BV equation on physical states that were recently constructed in d=2 string theory. The string diagrams are surfaces with minimal area metrics, foliated by closed geodesics of length 2π. These metrics generalize quadratic differentials in that foliation bands can cross. The string vertices are succinctly characterized; they include the surfaces whose foliation bands are all of height smaller than 2π. (orig.)

  14. String fields, higher spins and number theory

    CERN Document Server

    Polyakov, Dimitri

    2018-01-01

    The book aims to analyze and explore deep and profound relations between string field theory, higher spin gauge theories and holography the disciplines that have been on the cutting edge of theoretical high energy physics and other fields. These intriguing relations and connections involve some profound ideas in number theory, which appear to be part of a unifying language to describe these connections.

  15. Amplitude relations in heterotic string theory and Einstein-Yang-Mills

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schlotterer, Oliver [Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam (Germany)

    2016-11-11

    We present all-multiplicity evidence that the tree-level S-matrix of gluons and gravitons in heterotic string theory can be reduced to color-ordered single-trace amplitudes of the gauge multiplet. Explicit amplitude relations are derived for up to three gravitons, up to two color traces and an arbitrary number of gluons in each case. The results are valid to all orders in the inverse string tension α{sup ′} and generalize to the ten-dimensional superamplitudes which preserve 16 supercharges. Their field-theory limit results in an alternative proof of the recently discovered relations between Einstein-Yang-Mills amplitudes and those of pure Yang-Mills theory. Similarities and differences between the integrands of the Cachazo-He-Yuan formulae and the heterotic string are investigated.

  16. Star products from commutative string theory

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    in commutative open-string theory performed in [2], and an impressive ... formed to all orders in the derivative expansion, but keeping only terms of order(F 2) ... nonlogarithmic finite parts [2] and come from propagators for which there is no self-.

  17. Purely cubic action for string field theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horowitz, G. T.; Lykken, J.; Rohm, R.; Strominger, A.

    1986-01-01

    It is shown that Witten's (1986) open-bosonic-string field-theory action and a closed-string analog can be written as a purely cubic interaction term. The conventional form of the action arises by expansion around particular solutions of the classical equations of motion. The explicit background dependence of the conventional action via the Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin operator is eliminated in the cubic formulation. A closed-form expression is found for the full nonlinear gauge-transformation law.

  18. Ghost sector of vacuum string field theory and the projection equation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potting, Robertus; Raeymaekers, Joris

    2002-01-01

    We study the ghost sector of vacuum string field theory where the BRST operator Q is given by the midpoint insertion proposed by Gaiotto, Rastelli, Sen and Zwiebach. We introduce a convenient basis of half-string modes in terms of which Q takes a particularly simple form. We show that there exists a field redefinition which reduces the ghost sector field equation to a pure projection equation for string fields satisfying the constraint that the ghost number is equally divided over the left- and right halves of the string. When this constraint is imposed, vacuum string field theory can be reformulated as a U(∞) cubic matrix model. Ghost sector solutions can be constructed from projection operators on half-string Hilbert space just as in the matter sector. We construct the ghost sector equivalent of various well-known matter sector projectors such as the sliver, butterfly and nothing states. (author)

  19. Sequestering in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kachru, Shamit; McAllister, Liam; Sundrum, Raman

    2007-01-01

    We study sequestering, a prerequisite for flavor-blind supersymmetry breaking in several high-scale mediation mechanisms, in compactifications of type IIB string theory. We find that although sequestering is typically absent in unwarped backgrounds, strongly warped compactifications do readily sequester. The AdS/CFT dual description in terms of conformal sequestering plays an important role in our analysis, and we establish how sequestering works both on the gravity side and on the gauge theory side. We pay special attention to subtle compactification effects that can disrupt sequestering. Our result is a step toward realizing an appealing pattern of soft terms in a KKLT compactification

  20. Kleinian singularities and the ground ring of c=1 string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghoshal, D.; Jatkar, D.P.; Mukhi, S.

    1993-01-01

    We investigate the nature of the ground ring of c=1 string theory at the special ADE points in the c=1 moduli space associated to discrete subgroups of SU(2). The chiral ground rings at these points are shown to define the ADE series of singular varieties introduced by Klein. The non-chiral ground rings relevant to closed-string theory are 3 real dimensional singular varieties obtained as U(1) quotients of the kleinian varieties. The unbroken symmetries of the theory at these points are the volume-preserving diffeomorphisms of these varieties. The theory of kleinian singularities has a close relation to that of complex hyperKaehler surfaces, or gravitational instantons. We speculate on the relevance of these instantons and of self-dual gravity in c=1 string theory. (orig.)

  1. Forty Years of String Theory: Reflecting on the Foundations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Haro, S.; Dieks, D.G.B.J.; t Hooft, G.; Verlinde, E.

    2013-01-01

    The history of string theory started around 1970 when Nambu, Nielsen, and Susskind realized that Veneziano’s 1968 dual model, devised to explain the particle spectrum of the strong interactions, actually describes the properties of quantum mechanical strings. A few years later, QCD appeared as a

  2. Aspects of string theory compactifications. D-brane statistics and generalised geometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gmeiner, F.

    2006-01-01

    In this thesis we investigate two different aspects of string theory compactifications. The first part deals with the issue of the huge amount of possible string vacua, known as the landscape. Concretely we investigate a specific well defined subset of type II orientifold compactifications. We develop the necessary tools to construct a very large set of consistent models and investigate their gauge sector on a statistical basis. In particular we analyse the frequency distributions of gauge groups and the possible amount of chiral matter for compactifications to six and four dimensions. In the phenomenologically relevant case of four-dimensional compactifications, special attention is paid to solutions with gauge groups that include those of the standard model, as well as Pati-Salam, SU(5) and flipped SU(5) models. Additionally we investigate the frequency distribution of coupling constants and correlations between the observables in the gauge sector. These results are compared with a recent study of Gepner models. Moreover, we elaborate on questions concerning the finiteness of the number of solutions and the computational complexity of the algorithm. In the second part of this thesis we consider a new mathematical framework, called generalised geometry, to describe the six-manifolds used in string theory compactifications. In particular, the formulation of T-duality and mirror symmetry for nonlinear topological sigma models is investigated. Therefore we provide a reformulation and extension of the known topological A- and B-models to the generalised framework. The action of mirror symmetry on topological D-branes in this setup is presented and the transformation of the boundary conditions is analysed. To extend the considerations to D-branes in type II string theory, we introduce the notion of generalised calibrations. We show that the known calibration conditions of supersymmetric branes in type IIA and IIB can be obtained as special cases. Finally we investigate

  3. Aspects of string theory compactifications. D-brane statistics and generalised geometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gmeiner, F.

    2006-05-26

    In this thesis we investigate two different aspects of string theory compactifications. The first part deals with the issue of the huge amount of possible string vacua, known as the landscape. Concretely we investigate a specific well defined subset of type II orientifold compactifications. We develop the necessary tools to construct a very large set of consistent models and investigate their gauge sector on a statistical basis. In particular we analyse the frequency distributions of gauge groups and the possible amount of chiral matter for compactifications to six and four dimensions. In the phenomenologically relevant case of four-dimensional compactifications, special attention is paid to solutions with gauge groups that include those of the standard model, as well as Pati-Salam, SU(5) and flipped SU(5) models. Additionally we investigate the frequency distribution of coupling constants and correlations between the observables in the gauge sector. These results are compared with a recent study of Gepner models. Moreover, we elaborate on questions concerning the finiteness of the number of solutions and the computational complexity of the algorithm. In the second part of this thesis we consider a new mathematical framework, called generalised geometry, to describe the six-manifolds used in string theory compactifications. In particular, the formulation of T-duality and mirror symmetry for nonlinear topological sigma models is investigated. Therefore we provide a reformulation and extension of the known topological A- and B-models to the generalised framework. The action of mirror symmetry on topological D-branes in this setup is presented and the transformation of the boundary conditions is analysed. To extend the considerations to D-branes in type II string theory, we introduce the notion of generalised calibrations. We show that the known calibration conditions of supersymmetric branes in type IIA and IIB can be obtained as special cases. Finally we investigate

  4. String theory in the bathtub

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2014-01-01

    The presence of the surrounding medium makes their dynamics dramatically different from those of ordinary string-like objects propagating in empty space, leading to quite peculiar phenomena, observed in experiments and simulations. I will argue that the effective theory provides an optimal theoretical framework to understand such phenomena, and to make precise quantitative predictions about them.

  5. Remarks on the relation between different (open) string field theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Alwis, S.P.

    1987-01-01

    It is shown that the different three-string vertices, related by conformal transformations, are in the same BRST cohomology class. We use this result to discuss the relation between different (open) string field theories. (orig.)

  6. S-duality and noncommutative gauge theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gopakumar, R.; Maldacena, J.; Minwalla, S.; Strominger, A.

    2000-01-01

    It is conjectured that strongly coupled, spatially noncommutative CN=4 Yang-Mills theory has a dual description as a weakly coupled open string theory in a near critical electric field, and that this dual theory is fully decoupled from closed strings. Evidence for this conjecture is given by the absence of physical closed string poles in the non-planar one-loop open string diagram. The open string theory can be viewed as living in a geometry in which space and time coordinates do not commute. (author)

  7. The QCD Effective String

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Espriu, D.

    2003-01-01

    QCD can be described in a certain kinematical regime by an effective string theory. This string must couple to background chiral fields in a chirally invariant manner, thus taking into account the true chirally non-invariant QCD vacuum. By requiring conformal symmetry of the string and the unitarity constraint on chiral fields we reconstruct the equations of motion for the latter ones. These provide a consistent background for the propagation of the string. By further requiring locality of the effective action we recover the Lagrangian of non-linear sigma model of pion interactions. The prediction is unambiguous and parameter-free. The estimated chiral structural constants of Gasser and Leutwyler fit very well the phenomenological values. (author)

  8. Dynamics of strings between walls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eto, Minoru; Fujimori, Toshiaki; Nagashima, Takayuki; Nitta, Muneto; Ohashi, Keisuke; Sakai, Norisuke

    2009-01-01

    Configurations of vortex strings stretched between or ending on domain walls were previously found to be 1/4 Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) states in N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories in 3+1 dimensions. Among zero modes of string positions, the center of mass of strings in each region between two adjacent domain walls is shown to be non-normalizable whereas the rests are normalizable. We study dynamics of vortex strings stretched between separated domain walls by using two methods, the moduli space (geodesic) approximation of full 1/4 BPS states and the charged particle approximation for string end points in the wall effective action. In the first method we explicitly obtain the effective Lagrangian in the strong coupling limit, which is written in terms of hypergeometric functions, and find the 90 deg. scattering for head-on collision. In the second method the domain wall effective action is assumed to be U(1) N gauge theory, and we find a good agreement between two methods for well-separated strings.

  9. A mapping between Feynman and string motivated one-loop rules in gauge theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bern, Z.

    1992-01-01

    Recently, computationally efficient rules for one-loop gauge theory amplitudes have been derived from string theory. We demonstrate the relationship of the compact string organization of the amplitude to Feynman diagrams. In particular, we explicitly show how large cancellations inherent in conventional Feynman diagram computations are avoided by the string motivated rules. (orig.)

  10. Origin of gauge invariance in string theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horowitz, G. T.; Strominger, A.

    1986-01-01

    A first quantization of the space-time embedding Chi exp mu and the world-sheet metric rho of the open bosonic string. The world-sheet metric rho decouples from S-matrix elements in 26 dimensions. This formulation of the theory naturally includes 26-dimensional gauge transformations. The gauge invariance of S-matrix elements is a direct consequence of the decoupling of rho. Second quantization leads to a string field Phi(Chi exp mu, rho) with a gauge-covariant equation of motion.

  11. Rotating Dilaton Black Strings Coupled to Exponential Nonlinear Electrodynamics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad Sheykhi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We construct a new class of charged rotating black string solutions coupled to dilaton and exponential nonlinear electrodynamic fields with cylindrical or toroidal horizons in the presence of a Liouville-type potential for the dilaton field. Due to the presence of the dilaton field, the asymptotic behaviors of these solutions are neither flat nor (AdS. We analyze the physical properties of the solutions in detail. We compute the conserved and thermodynamic quantities of the solutions and verify the first law of thermodynamics on the black string horizon. When the nonlinear parameter β2 goes to infinity, our results reduce to those of black string solutions in Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton gravity.

  12. Multiloop world-line Green functions from string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roland, K.; Sato, H.T.

    1996-01-01

    We show how the multiloop bosonic Green function of closed string theory reduces to the world-line Green function as defined by Schmidt and Schubert in the limit where the string world-sheet degenerates into a Φ 3 particle diagram. To obtain this correspondence we have to make an appropriate choice of the local coordinates defined on the degenerate string world sheet. We also present a set of simple rules that specify, in the explicit setting of the Schottky parametrization, which is the corner of moduli space corresponding to a given multiloop Φ 3 diagram. (orig.)

  13. Strings on AdS2 and the high-energy limit of noncritical M-theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horava, Petr; Horava, Petr; Keeler, Cynthia A.

    2007-01-01

    Noncritical M-theory in 2+1 dimensions has been defined as a double-scaling limit of a nonrelativistic Fermi liquid on a flat two-dimensional plane. Here we study this noncritical M-theory in the limit of high energies, analogous to the alpha(prime) → ∞ limit of string theory. In the related case of two-dimensional Type 0A strings, it has been argued that the conformal alpha(prime) → ∞ limit leads to AdS 2 with a propagating fermion whose mass is set by the value of the RR flux. Here we provide evidence that in the high-energy limit, the natural ground state of noncritical M-theory similarly describes the AdS 2 x S 1 spacetime, with a massless propagating fermion. We argue that the spacetime effective theory in this background is captured by a topological higher-spin extension of conformal Chern-Simons gravity in 2+1 dimensions, consistently coupled to a massless Dirac field. Intriguingly, the two-dimensional plane populated by the original nonrelativistic fermions is essentially the twistor space associated with the symmetry group of the AdS 2 x S 1 spacetime; thus, at least in the high-energy limit, noncritical M-theory can be nonperturbatively described as a 'Fermi liquid on twistor space'

  14. On natural inflation and moduli stabilisation in string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Palti, Eran [Institut für Theoretische Physik, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Philosophenweg 19, Heidelberg, 69120 (Germany)

    2015-10-28

    Natural inflation relies on the existence of an axion decay constant which is super-Planckian. In string theory only sub-Planckian axion decay constants have been found in any controlled regime. However in field theory it is possible to generate an enhanced super-Planckian decay constant by an appropriate aligned mixing between axions with individual sub-Planckian decay constants. We study the possibility of such a mechanism in string theory. In particular we construct a new realisation of an alignment scenario in type IIA string theory compactifications on a Calabi-Yau where the alignment is induced through fluxes. Within field theory the original decay constants are taken to be independent of the parameters which induce the alignment. In string theory however they are moduli dependent quantities and so interact gravitationally with the physics responsible for the mixing. We show that this gravitational effect of the fluxes on the moduli can precisely cancel any enhancement of the effective decay constant. This censorship of an effective super-Planckian decay constant depends on detailed properties of Calabi-Yau moduli spaces and occurs for all the examples and classes that we study. We expand these results to a general superpotential assuming only that the axion superpartners are fixed supersymmetrically and are able to show for a large class of Calabi-Yau manifolds, but not all, that the cancellation effect occurs and is independent of the superpotential. We also study simple models where the moduli are fixed non-supersymmetrically and find that similar cancellation behaviour can emerge. Finally we make some comments on a possible generalisation to axion monodromy inflation models.

  15. Zero-norm states and high-energy symmetries of string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chan, C.-T.; Lee, J.-C.

    2004-01-01

    We derive stringy Ward identities from the decoupling of two types of zero-norm states in the old covariant first quantized (OCFQ) spectrum of open bosonic string. These Ward identities are valid to all energy α' and all loop orders χ in string perturbation theory. The high-energy limit α'→∞ of these stringy Ward identities can then be used to fix the proportionality constants between scattering amplitudes of different string states algebraically without referring to Gross and Mende's saddle point calculation of high-energy string-loop amplitudes. As examples, all Ward identities for the mass level M 2 =4,6 are derived, their high-energy limits are calculated and the proportionality constants between scattering amplitudes of different string states are determined. In addition to those identified before, we discover some new nonzero components of high-energy amplitudes not found previously by Gross and Manes. These components are essential to preserve massive gauge invariances or decouple massive zero-norm states of string theory. A set of massive scattering amplitudes and their high-energy limits are calculated explicitly for each mass level M 2 =4,6 to justify our results

  16. Lectures on 2D gravity and 2D string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ginsparg, P.; Moore, G.

    1992-01-01

    This report the following topics: loops and states in conformal field theory; brief review of the Liouville theory; 2D Euclidean quantum gravity I: path integral approach; 2D Euclidean quantum gravity II: canonical approach; states in 2D string theory; matrix model technology I: method of orthogonal polynomials; matrix model technology II: loops on the lattice; matrix model technology III: free fermions from the lattice; loops and states in matrix model quantum gravity; loops and states in the C=1 matrix model; 6V model fermi sea dynamics and collective field theory; and string scattering in two spacetime dimensions

  17. Mass corrections in string theory and lattice field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Del Debbio, Luigi; Kerrane, Eoin; Russo, Rodolfo

    2009-01-01

    Kaluza-Klein (KK) compactifications of higher-dimensional Yang-Mills theories contain a number of 4-dimensional scalars corresponding to the internal components of the gauge field. While at tree level the scalar zero modes are massless, it is well known that quantum corrections make them massive. We compute these radiative corrections at 1 loop in an effective field theory framework, using the background field method and proper Schwinger-time regularization. In order to clarify the proper treatment of the sum over KK modes in the effective field theory approach, we consider the same problem in two different UV completions of Yang-Mills: string theory and lattice field theory. In both cases, when the compactification radius R is much bigger than the scale of the UV completion (R>>√(α ' ), a), we recover a mass renormalization that is independent of the UV scale and agrees with the one derived in the effective field theory approach. These results support the idea that the value of the mass corrections is, in this regime, universal for any UV completion that respects locality and gauge invariance. The string analysis suggests that this property holds also at higher loops. The lattice analysis suggests that the mass of the adjoint scalars appearing in N=2, 4 super Yang-Mills is highly suppressed, even if the lattice regularization breaks all supersymmetries explicitly. This is due to an interplay between the higher-dimensional gauge invariance and the degeneracy of bosonic and fermionic degrees of freedom.

  18. The exact effective couplings of 4D N=2 gauge theories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mitev, Vladimir [Humboldt-Universitaet, Berlin (Germany). Inst. fuer Mathematik; Humboldt-Universitaet, Berlin (Germany). Inst. fuer Physik; Pomoni, Elli [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); National Technical Univ. Athens (Greece). Physics Division

    2014-07-15

    The anomalous dimensions of operators in the purely gluonic SU(2,1 vertical stroke 2) sector of any planar conformal N=2 theory can be read off from the N=4 SYM results by replacing the N=4 coupling constant by an interpolating function of the N=2 coupling constants, to which we refer to as the effective coupling. For a large class of N=2 theories we compute the weak coupling expansion of these functions as well as the leading strong coupling term by employing supersymmetric localization. Via Feynman diagrams, we interpret our results as the relative (between N=2 and N=4) finite renormalization of the coupling constant. Using the AdS/CFT dictionary, we identify the effective couplings with the effective string tensions of the corresponding gravity dual theories. Thus, any observable in the SU(2,1 vertical stroke 2) sector can be obtained from its N=4 counterpart by replacing the N=4 coupling constant by the universal, for a given theory, effective coupling.

  19. The exact effective couplings of 4D N=2 gauge theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitev, Vladimir; Humboldt-Universitaet, Berlin; Pomoni, Elli; National Technical Univ. Athens

    2014-07-01

    The anomalous dimensions of operators in the purely gluonic SU(2,1 vertical stroke 2) sector of any planar conformal N=2 theory can be read off from the N=4 SYM results by replacing the N=4 coupling constant by an interpolating function of the N=2 coupling constants, to which we refer to as the effective coupling. For a large class of N=2 theories we compute the weak coupling expansion of these functions as well as the leading strong coupling term by employing supersymmetric localization. Via Feynman diagrams, we interpret our results as the relative (between N=2 and N=4) finite renormalization of the coupling constant. Using the AdS/CFT dictionary, we identify the effective couplings with the effective string tensions of the corresponding gravity dual theories. Thus, any observable in the SU(2,1 vertical stroke 2) sector can be obtained from its N=4 counterpart by replacing the N=4 coupling constant by the universal, for a given theory, effective coupling.

  20. String Theory, the Crisis in Particle Physics and the Ascent of Metaphoric Arguments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schroer, Bert

    This essay presents a critical evaluation of the concepts of string theory and its impact on particle physics. The point of departure is a historical review of four decades of string theory within the broader context of six decades of failed attempts at an autonomous S matrix approach to particle theory. The central message, contained in Secs. 5 and 6, is that string theory is not what its name suggests, namely a theory of objects in space-time whose localization is string-instead of pointlike. Contrary to popular opinion, the oscillators corresponding to the Fourier models of a quantum-mechanical string do not become embedded in space-time and neither does the "range space" of a chiral conformal QFT acquire the interpretation of stringlike-localized quantum matter. Rather, string theory represents a solution to a problem which enjoyed some popularity in the 1960s: find a principle which, similar to the SO(4,2) group in the case of the hydrogen spectrum, determines an infinite component wave function with a (realistic) mass/spin spectrum. Instead of the group theory used in the old failed attempts, it creates this mass/spin spectrum by combining an internal oscillator quantum mechanics with a pointlike-localized quantum-field-theoretic object, i.e. the mass/spin tower "sits" over one point and does not arise from a wiggling string in space-time. The widespread acceptance of a theory whose interpretation has been based on metaphoric reasoning had a corroding influence on particle theory, a point which will be illustrated in the last section with some remarks of a more sociological nature. These remarks also lend additional support to observations on connections between the discourse in particle physics and the present Zeitgeist of the post-Cold War period that are made in the introduction.

  1. Probing the string winding sector

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aldazabal, Gerardo; Mayo, Martín [G. Física CAB-CNEA and CONICET, Centro Atómico Bariloche,Av. Bustillo 9500, Bariloche (Argentina); Instituto Balseiro, Centro Atómico Bariloche,Av. Bustillo 9500, Bariloche (Argentina); Nuñez, Carmen [Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (CONICET-UBA),C.C. 67 - Suc. 28, 1428 Buenos Aires (Argentina); Departamento de Física, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires,C.C. 67 - Suc. 28, 1428 Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2017-03-17

    We probe a slice of the massive winding sector of bosonic string theory from toroidal compactifications of Double Field Theory (DFT). This string subsector corresponds to states containing one left and one right moving oscillators. We perform a generalized Kaluza Klein compactification of DFT on generic 2n-dimensional toroidal constant backgrounds and show that, up to third order in fluctuations, the theory coincides with the corresponding effective theory of the bosonic string compactified on n-dimensional toroidal constant backgrounds, obtained from three-point amplitudes. The comparison between both theories is facilitated by noticing that generalized diffeomorphisms in DFT allow to fix generalized harmonic gauge conditions that help in identifying the physical degrees of freedom. These conditions manifest as conformal anomaly cancellation requirements on the string theory side. The explicit expression for the gauge invariant effective action containing the physical massless sector (gravity+antisymmetric+gauge+ scalar fields) coupled to towers of generalized Kaluza Klein massive states (corresponding to compact momentum and winding modes) is found. The action acquires a very compact form when written in terms of fields carrying O(n,n) indices, and is explicitly T-duality invariant. The global algebra associated to the generalized Kaluza Klein compactification is discussed.

  2. The heterotic string

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gross, D.J.

    1986-01-01

    Traditional string theories, either bosonic or supersymmetric, came in two varieties, closed string theories and open string theories. Closed string are neutral objects which describe at low energies gravity or supergravity. Open strings have geometrically invariant ends to which charge can be attached, thereby obtaining, in addition to gravity, Yang-Mills gauge interactions. Recently a new kind of string theory was discovered--the heterotic string, which is a chiral hybrid of the closed superstring and the closed bosonic string, and which produces by an internal dynamical mechanism gauge interactions of a totally specified kind. Although this theory is found in an attempt to produce a superstring theory which would yield a low energy E/sub 8/xE/sub 8/ supersymmetric, anomaly free, gauge theory, as suggested by the anomaly cancellation mechanism of Green and Schwarz, it fits naturally into the general framework of consistent string theories

  3. Local grand unification and string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nilles, Hans Peter; Vaudrevange, Patrick K.S.

    2009-09-01

    The low energy effective action of string theory depends strongly on the process of compactification and the localization of fields in extra dimensions. Explicit string constructions towards the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) reveal interesting results leading to the concept of local grand unification. Properties of the MSSM indicate that we might live at a special location close to an orbifold fixed point rather than a generic point in Calabi-Yau moduli space. We observe an enhancement of (discrete) symmetries that have various implications for the properties of the MSSM such as proton stability as well as solutions to the flavor problem, the m-problem and the strong CP-problem. (orig.)

  4. Topics in supergravity and string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eastaugh, A.G.

    1987-01-01

    The first topic covered in this dissertation concerns the harmonic expansion technique and its application to the dimensional compactification of higher dimensional supergravity. A simple example is given to explain the method and then the method is applied to the problem of obtaining the mass spectrum of the squashed seven-sphere compactification of eleven dimensional supergravity. The second topic concerns the application of Fujikawa's method of anomaly calculation to the calculation of the critical dimension of various string models. The third topic is a study and explicit calculation of the Fock space representation of the vertex in Witten's formulation of the interacting open bosonic string field theory

  5. Cosmology in Gauge Field Theory and String Theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia Compean, H

    2005-01-01

    This new book is intended for students and researchers who want to go into the interplay between cosmology and high-energy physics. It assumes a prior knowledge of these subjects such as some of the topics contained in the previous books by the authors, Introduction to Gauge Field Theory (1993 Bristol: Institute of Physics Publishing) and Supersymmetric Gauge Field Theory and String Theory (1994 Bristol: Institute of Physics Publishing). However, the book is intended to be self-contained, explaining, from a modern perspective, some background material mainly in standard cosmology, topological defects, baryogenesis, inflationary cosmology and, at the end of the book, some of the basics of string theory. What is distinctively new about this book is that it lies in the interplay between cosmology and high-energy physics typically above 100 GeV (10 15 K). Often these subjects are presented in regular textbooks in a disconnected way, or in research papers, proceedings and review papers but usually not in a pedagogical style. Thus, in this sense, the book is unique and deserves a special place in the recent literature. The book starts by reviewing the standard material of the early universe. The standard model of cosmology from a modern perspective is revised in chapter 1. In chapter 2, phase transitions in different models are discussed, Higgs, electroweak, GUTs, supersymmetric GUTs and supergravity, by using quantum field theory at finite temperature. Chapter 3 is devoted to a general account of topological defects and discusses how they arise as possible remnants of these phase transitions in GUTs. Other relics, such as neutrinos and axions, are introduced in chapter 5 and their impact in cosmology is assessed. In chapter 4, some of the most relevant mechanisms of baryogenesis are discussed in the context of the different GUTs and the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). Inflation is also discussed in the context of GUTs. In chapter 6, the authors introduce

  6. Chern-Simons Theory, Matrix Models, and Topological Strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walcher, J

    2006-01-01

    This book is a find. Marino meets the challenge of filling in less than 200 pages the need for an accessible review of topological gauge/gravity duality. He is one of the pioneers of the subject and a clear expositor. It is no surprise that reading this book is a great pleasure. The existence of dualities between gauge theories and theories of gravity remains one of the most surprising recent discoveries in mathematical physics. While it is probably fair to say that we do not yet understand the full reach of such a relation, the impressive amount of evidence that has accumulated over the past years can be regarded as a substitute for a proof, and will certainly help to delineate the question of what is the most fundamental quantum mechanical theory. Here is a brief summary of the book. The journey begins with matrix models and an introduction to various techniques for the computation of integrals including perturbative expansion, large-N approximation, saddle point analysis, and the method of orthogonal polynomials. The second chapter, on Chern-Simons theory, is the longest and probably the most complete one in the book. Starting from the action we meet Wilson loop observables, the associated perturbative 3-manifold invariants, Witten's exact solution via the canonical duality to WZW models, the framing ambiguity, as well as a collection of results on knot invariants that can be derived from Chern-Simons theory and the combinatorics of U (∞) representation theory. The chapter also contains a careful derivation of the large-N expansion of the Chern-Simons partition function, which forms the cornerstone of its interpretation as a closed string theory. Finally, we learn that Chern-Simons theory can sometimes also be represented as a matrix model. The story then turns to the gravity side, with an introduction to topological sigma models (chapter 3) and topological string theory (chapter 4). While this presentation is necessarily rather condensed (and the beginner may

  7. Topics in string theory and quantum gravity

    CERN Document Server

    Alvarez-Gaume, Luis

    1992-01-01

    These are the lecture notes for the Les Houches Summer School on Quantum Gravity held in July 1992. The notes present some general critical assessment of other (non-string) approaches to quantum gravity, and a selected set of topics concerning what we have learned so far about the subject from string theory. Since these lectures are long (133 A4 pages), we include in this abstract the table of contents, which should help the user of the bulletin board in deciding whether to latex and print the full file. 1-FIELD THEORETICAL APPROACH TO QUANTUM GRAVITY: Linearized gravity; Supergravity; Kaluza-Klein theories; Quantum field theory and classical gravity; Euclidean approach to Quantum Gravity; Canonical quantization of gravity; Gravitational Instantons. 2-CONSISTENCY CONDITIONS: ANOMALIES: Generalities about anomalies; Spinors in 2n dimensions; When can we expect to find anomalies?; The Atiyah-Singer Index Theorem and the computation of anomalies; Examples: Green-Schwarz cancellation mechanism and Witten's SU(2) ...

  8. BPS dynamics of the triple (p,q) string junction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rey, S.-J.; Yee, J.-T.

    1998-01-01

    We study the dynamics of the triple junction of (p,q) strings in type IIB string theory. We probe the tension and mass density of (p,q) strings by studying harmonic fluctuations of the triple junction. We show that they agree perfectly with the BPS formula provided a suitable geometric interpretation of the junction is given. We provide a precise statement of the BPS limit and force-balance property. At weak coupling and sufficiently dense limit, we argue that a (p,q) string embedded in the string network is a 'wiggly string', whose low-energy dynamics can be described via a renormalization group evolved, smooth effective non-relativistic string. We also suggest the possibility that, upon type IIB strings being promoted to the M-theory membrane, there can exist 'evanescent' bound-states at the triple junction in the continuum. (orig.)

  9. The birth of string theory

    CERN Document Server

    Castellani, Elena; Colomo, Filippo; Di Vecchia, Paolo

    2012-01-01

    String theory is currently the best candidate for a unified theory of all forces and all forms of matter in nature. As such, it has become a focal point for physical and philosophical discussions. This unique book explores the history of the theory's early stages of development, as told by its main protagonists. The book journeys from the first version of the theory (the so-called dual resonance model) in the late sixties, as an attempt to describe the physics of strong interactions outside the framework of quantum field theory, to its reinterpretation around the mid-seventies as a quantum theory of gravity unified with the other forces, and its successive developments up to the superstring revolution in 1984. Providing important background information to current debates on the theory, this book is essential reading for students and researchers in physics, as well as historians and philosophers of science.

  10. Supersymmetry and string theory beyond the standard model

    CERN Document Server

    Dine, Michael

    2015-01-01

    The past decade has witnessed dramatic developments in the fields of experimental and theoretical particle physics and cosmology. This fully updated second edition is a comprehensive introduction to these recent developments and brings this self-contained textbook right up to date. Brand new material for this edition includes the groundbreaking Higgs discovery, results of the WMAP and Planck experiments. Extensive discussion of theories of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking and a new chapter on the landscape, as well as a completely rewritten coda on future directions gives readers a modern perspective on this developing field. A focus on three principle areas: supersymmetry, string theory, and astrophysics and cosmology provide the structure for this book which will be of great interest to graduates and researchers in the fields of particle theory, string theory, astrophysics and cosmology. The book contains several problems, and password-protected solutions will be available to lecturers at www.cambrid...

  11. SLAC physicists develop test for string theory

    CERN Multimedia

    Yajnik, Juhi

    2006-01-01

    "Under certain conditions, string theory solves many of the questions wracking the minds of physicists, but until recently it had one major flaw - it could not be tested. SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) scientists have found a way to test this revolutionary theory, which posits that there are 10 or 11 dimensions in our universe" (1 page)

  12. Generalized canonical quantization and background fields equations of motion in the Bosonic string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buchbinder, I.L.; Lyakhovich, S.L.; Pershin, V.D.; Fradkin, E.S.

    1991-01-01

    At present, superstring theory is the only candidate to be a unified theory of all fundamental interactions. For this reason, the various aspects of the string theory have been attracting great attention. String theory has a nontrivial gauge symmetry and therefore is an interesting object from the viewpoint of application of general quantization methods. This paper discusses the bosonic string theory. The purpose of this paper is a consistent operator quantization of the theory with the action. The natural basis for it is provided by the method of the generalized canonical quantization

  13. Thermodynamics of 2D string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexandrov, Sergei Yu.; V.A. Fock Department of Theoretical Physics, St. Petersburg University

    2003-01-01

    We calculate the free energy, energy and entropy in the matrix quantum mechanical formulation of 2D string theory in a background strongly perturbed by tachyons with the imaginary minkowskian momentum ±i/R ('Sine-Liouville' theory). The system shows a thermodynamical behaviour corresponding to the temperature T={1/(2π R)}. We show that the microscopically calculated energy of the system satisfies the usual thermodynamical relations and leads to a non-zero entropy. (author)

  14. Topics in string theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jejjala, Vishnumohan

    2002-01-01

    This Thesis explores aspects of superstring theory on orbifold spaces and applies some of the intuition gleaned from the study of the non-commutative geometry of space-time to understanding the fractional quantum Hall effect. The moduli space of vacua of marginal and relevant deformations of N = 4 super-Yang-Mills gauge theory in four dimensions is interpreted in terms of non-commutative geometry. A formalism for thinking about the algebraic geometry of the moduli space is developed. Within this framework, the representation theory of the algebras studied provides a natural exposition of D-brane fractionation. The non-commutative moduli space of deformations preserving N = 1 supersymmetry is examined in detail through various examples. In string theory, by the AdS/CFT correspondence, deformations of the N = 4 field theory are dual to the near-horizon geometries of D-branes on orbifolds of AdS5 x S 5. The physics of D-branes on the dual AdS backgrounds is explored. Quivers encapsulate the matter content of supersymmetric field theories on the worldvolumes of D-branes at orbifold singularities. New techniques for constructing quivers are presented here. When N is a normal subgroup of a finite group G, the quiver corresponding to fixed points of the orbifold M/G is computed from a G/N action on the quiver corresponding to M/G . These techniques prove useful for constructing non-Abelian quivers and for examining discrete torsion orbifolds. Quivers obtained through our constructions contain interesting low-energy phenomenology. The matter content on a brane at an isolated singularity of the Delta27 orbifold embeds the Standard Model. The symmetries of the quiver require exactly three generations of fields in the particle spectrum. Lepton masses are suppressed relative to quark masses because lepton Yukawa couplings do not appear in the superpotential. Lepton masses are generated through the Kahler potential and are related to the supersymmetry breaking scale. The model

  15. On the domain of string perturbation theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davis, S.

    1989-06-01

    For a large class of effectively closed surfaces, it is shown that the only divergences in string scattering amplitudes at each order in perturbation theory are those associated with the coincidence of vertex operators and the boundary of moduli space. This class includes all closed surfaces of finite genus, and infinite-genus surfaces which can be uniformized by a group of Schottky type. While the computation is done explicitly for bosonic strings in their ground states, it can also be extended to excited states and to superstrings. The properties of these amplitudes lead to a definition of the domain of perturbation theory as the set of effectively closed surfaces. The implications of the restriction to effectively closed surfaces on the behavior of the perturbation series are discussed. (author). 20 refs, 6 figs

  16. Why two local BRS algebras in bosonic string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bouda, A.

    1993-01-01

    This paper is the first of a set of two articles in which a local Becchi-Rouet-Stora (BRS) operator for string and superstring theories is constructed by using a new procedure in which the nil potency is automatically guaranteed. In this article, it is shown that in bosonic string theory, there are two different methods of dilating the ghost which give rise to two different local BRS algebras. The first method leads to well-known results, already obtained by another procedure. The second method has been applied previously by the author. (author). 8 refs

  17. Physical states at the tachyonic vacuum of open string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giusto, S.; Imbimbo, C.

    2004-01-01

    We illustrate a method for computing the number of physical states of open string theory at the stable tachyonic vacuum in level truncation approximation. The method is based on the analysis of the gauge-fixed open string field theory quadratic action that includes Fadeev-Popov ghost string fields. Computations up to level 9 in the scalar sector are consistent with Sen's conjecture about the absence of physical open string states at the tachyonic vacuum. We also derive a long exact cohomology sequence that relates relative and absolute cohomologies of the BRS operator at the non-perturbative vacuum. We use this exact result in conjunction with our numerical findings to conclude that the higher ghost number non-perturbative BRS cohomologies are non-empty

  18. The early years of string theory: The dual resonance model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramond, P.

    1987-10-01

    This paper reviews the past quantum mechanical history of the dual resonance model which is an early string theory. The content of this paper is listed as follows: historical review, the Veneziano amplitude, the operator formalism, the ghost story, and the string story

  19. Dirichlet branes and nonperturbative aspects of supersymmetric string and gauge theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yin, Zheng

    1999-01-01

    In chapter 1 the author reviews some elements of string theory relevant to the rest of this report. He touches on both the classical, i.e. perturbative, string physics before D-branes rise to prominence, and some of the progresses they brought forth. In chapter 2 he proceeds to give an exact algebraic formulation of D-branes in curved spaces. This allows one to classify them in backgrounds of interest and study their geometric properties. He applies this formalism to string theory on Calabi-Yau and other supersymmetry preserving manifolds. Then he studies the behavior of the D-branes under mirror symmetry in chapter 3. Mirror symmetry is known to be a symmetry of string theory perturbatively. He finds evidence for its nonperturbative validity when D-branes are also considered and compute some dynamical consequences. In chapter 4 he turns to examine the consistency of curved and/or intersecting D-brane configurations. They have been used recently to extract information about the field theories that arise in certain limits. It turns out that there are potential quantum mechanical inconsistencies associated with them. What saves the day are certain subtle topological properties of D-branes. This resolution has implications for the conserved charges carried by the D-branes, which he computes for the cases studied in chapter 2. In chapter 5 he uses intersecting brane configurations to study three dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories. There is also a mirror symmetry there that, among other things, exchanges classical and quantum mechanical quantities of a (mirror) pair of theories. It has an elegant realization in term of a symmetry of string theory involving D-branes. The author employs it to study a wide class of 3d models. He also predicts new mirror pairs and unconventional 3d field theories without Lagrangian descriptions

  20. String bits and the spin vertex

    OpenAIRE

    Jiang, YunfengInstitut de Physique Théorique, DSM, CEA, URA2306 CNRS Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Kostov, Ivan(Institut de Physique Théorique, DSM, CEA, URA2306 CNRS Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France); Petrovskii, Andrei(Institut de Physique Théorique, DSM, CEA, URA2306 CNRS Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France); Serban, Didina(Institut de Physique Théorique, DSM, CEA, URA2306 CNRS Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France)

    2015-01-01

    We initiate a novel formalism for computing correlation functions of trace operators in the planar N=4 SYM theory. The central object in our formalism is the spin vertex, which is the weak coupling analogy of the string vertex in string field theory. We construct the spin vertex explicitly for all sectors at the leading order using a set of bosonic and fermionic oscillators. We prove that the vertex has trivial monodromy, or put in other words, it is a Yangian invariant. Since the monodromy o...

  1. On the interplay between string theory and field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brunner, I.

    1998-01-01

    In this thesis, we have discussed various aspects of branes in string theory and M-theory. In chapter 2 we were able to construct six-dimensional chiral interacting eld theories from Hanany-Witten like brane setups. The field theory requirement that the anomalies cancel was reproduced by RR-charge conservation in the brane setup. The data of the Hanany-Witten setup, which consists of brane positions, was mapped to instanton data. The orbifold construction can be extended to D and E type singularities. In chapter 3 we discussed a matrix conjecture, which claims that M-theory in the light cone gauge is described by the quantum mechanics of D0 branes. Toroidal compactifications of M-theory have a description in terms of super Yang-Mills theory an the dual torus. For more than three compactified dimensions, more degrees of freedom have to be added. In some sense, the philosophy in this chapter is orthogonal to the previous chapter: Here, we want to get M-theory results from eld theory considerations, whereas in the previous chapter we obtained eld theory results by embedding the theories in string theory. Our main focus was on the compactification on T 6 , which leads to complications. Here, the Matrix model is again given by an eleven dimensional theory, not by a lower dimensional field theory. Other problems and possible resolutions of Matrix theory are discussed at the end of chapter 3. In the last chapter we considered M- and F-theory compactifications on Calabi-Yau fourfolds. After explaining some basics of fourfolds, we showed that the web of fourfolds is connected by singular transitions. The two manifolds which are connected by the transition are different resolutions of the same singular manifold. The resolution of the singularities can lead to a certain type of divisors, which lead to non-perturbative superpotentials, when branes wrap them. The vacua connected by the transitions can be physically very different. (orig.)

  2. On the interplay between string theory and field theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brunner, I.

    1998-07-08

    In this thesis, we have discussed various aspects of branes in string theory and M-theory. In chapter 2 we were able to construct six-dimensional chiral interacting eld theories from Hanany-Witten like brane setups. The field theory requirement that the anomalies cancel was reproduced by RR-charge conservation in the brane setup. The data of the Hanany-Witten setup, which consists of brane positions, was mapped to instanton data. The orbifold construction can be extended to D and E type singularities. In chapter 3 we discussed a matrix conjecture, which claims that M-theory in the light cone gauge is described by the quantum mechanics of D0 branes. Toroidal compactifications of M-theory have a description in terms of super Yang-Mills theory an the dual torus. For more than three compactified dimensions, more degrees of freedom have to be added. In some sense, the philosophy in this chapter is orthogonal to the previous chapter: Here, we want to get M-theory results from eld theory considerations, whereas in the previous chapter we obtained eld theory results by embedding the theories in string theory. Our main focus was on the compactification on T{sup 6}, which leads to complications. Here, the Matrix model is again given by an eleven dimensional theory, not by a lower dimensional field theory. Other problems and possible resolutions of Matrix theory are discussed at the end of chapter 3. In the last chapter we considered M- and F-theory compactifications on Calabi-Yau fourfolds. After explaining some basics of fourfolds, we showed that the web of fourfolds is connected by singular transitions. The two manifolds which are connected by the transition are different resolutions of the same singular manifold. The resolution of the singularities can lead to a certain type of divisors, which lead to non-perturbative superpotentials, when branes wrap them. The vacua connected by the transitions can be physically very different. (orig.)

  3. An ambiguity in fermionic string perturbation theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atick, J.J.; Rabin, J.M.

    1988-01-01

    Recent investigation by Verlinde and Verlinde has shown that the fermionic string loop amplitudes change by a total derivative term in the moduli space under a change of basis of the supermoduli. This ambiguity is addressed in the context of the heterotic string theory, and shown to be a consequence of an inherent ambiguity in defining integration over the variables of a Grassmann algebra - in this case the Grassmann-valued coordinates of the supermoduli space. A resolution of this ambiguity in genus-two within this formalism is also presented. (orig.)

  4. Wilson loop, Regge trajectory and hadron masses in a Yang-Mills theory from semiclassical strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bigazzi, F.; Cotrone, A.L.; Martucci, L.; Pando Zayas, L.A.

    2004-07-01

    We compute the one-loop string corrections to the Wilson loop, glueball Regge trajectory and stringy hadron masses in the Witten model of non supersymmetric, large-N Yang-Mills theory. The classical string configurations corresponding to the above field theory objects are respectively: open straight strings, folded closed spinning strings, and strings orbiting in the internal part of the supergravity background. For the rectangular Wilson loop we show that besides the standard Luscher term, string corrections provide a rescaling of the field theory string tension. The one-loop corrections to the linear glueball Regge trajectories render them nonlinear with a positive intercept, as in the experimental soft Pomeron trajectory. Strings orbiting in the internal space predict a spectrum of hadronic-like states charged under global flavor symmetries which falls in the same universality class of other confining models. (author)

  5. Millicharged dark matter in quantum gravity and string theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiu, Gary; Soler, Pablo; Ye, Fang

    2013-06-14

    We examine the millicharged dark matter scenario from a string theory perspective. In this scenario, kinetic and mass mixings of the photon with extra U(1) bosons are claimed to give rise to small electric charges, carried by dark matter particles, whose values are determined by continuous parameters of the theory. This seems to contradict folk theorems of quantum gravity that forbid the existence of irrational charges in theories with a single massless gauge field. By considering the underlying structure of the U(1) mass matrix that appears in type II string compactifications, we show that millicharges arise exclusively through kinetic mixing, and require the existence of at least two exactly massless gauge bosons.

  6. New infinite-dimensional hidden symmetries for heterotic string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Yajun

    2007-01-01

    The symmetry structures of two-dimensional heterotic string theory are studied further. A (2d+n)x(2d+n) matrix complex H-potential is constructed and the field equations are extended into a complex matrix formulation. A pair of Hauser-Ernst-type linear systems are established. Based on these linear systems, explicit formulations of new hidden symmetry transformations for the considered theory are given and then these symmetry transformations are verified to constitute infinite-dimensional Lie algebras: the semidirect product of the Kac-Moody o(d,d+n-circumflex) and Virasoro algebras (without center charges). These results demonstrate that the heterotic string theory under consideration possesses more and richer symmetry structures than previously expected

  7. New variations on two old themes - String Theory and Baryonium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chan Hong-Mo.

    1989-07-01

    A trace factor introduced twenty years ago to incorporate internal symmetry into String Theory is generalised to include also string dynamics, while some new spectroscopic data are examined in relation to a ten year old model of exotic qq-q-barq-bar mesons. (author)

  8. The spectra of supersymmetric states in string theory

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cheng, M.C.N.

    2008-01-01

    In this thesis we study the spectra of supersymmetric states in string theory compactifications with eight and sixteen supercharges, with special focus placed on the quantum states of black holes and the phenomenon of wall-crossing in these theories. A self-contained introduction to the relevant

  9. EDITORIAL: Lectures from the European RTN Winter School on Strings, Supergravity and Gauge Theories, CERN, 21 25 January 2008

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derendinger, J.-P.; Orlando, D.; Uranga, A.

    2008-11-01

    This special issue is devoted to the proceedings of the conference 'RTN Winter School on Strings, Supergravity and Gauge Theories', which took place at CERN, the European Centre for Nuclear Research, in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 21 25 January 2008. This event was organized in the framework of the European Mobility Research and Training Network entitled 'Constituents, Fundamental Forces and Symmetries of the Universe'. It is part of a yearly series of scientific schools, which represents what is by now a well established tradition. The previous ones have been held at SISSA, in Trieste, Italy, in February 2005 and at CERN in January 2006. The next one will again take place at CERN, in February 2009. The school was primarily meant for young doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers working in the area of string theory. It consisted of several general lectures of four hours each, whose notes are published in the present proceedings, and five working group discussion sessions, focused on specific topics of the network research program. It was attended by approximatively 250 participants. The topics of the lectures were chosen to provide an introduction to some of the areas of recent progress, and to the open problems, in string theory. One of the most active areas in string theory in recent years is the AdS/CFT or gauge/gravity correspondence, which proposes the complete equivalence of string theory on (asymptotically) anti-de Sitter spacetimes with gauge theories. The duality relates the weak coupling regime of one system to the strongly coupled regime of the other, and is therefore very non-trivial to test beyond the supersymmetry-protected BPS sector. One of the key ideas to quantitatively match several quantities on both sides is the use of integrability, both in the gauge theory and the string side. The lecture notes by Nick Dorey provide a pedagogical introduction to the fascinating topic of integrability in AdS/CFT. On the string theory side, progress has

  10. Discrete state moduli of string theory from c=1 matrix model

    CERN Document Server

    Dhar, A; Wadia, S R; Dhar, Avinash; Mandal, Gautam; Wadia, Spenta R

    1995-01-01

    We propose a new formulation of the space-time interpretation of the c=1 matrix model. Our formulation uses the well-known leg-pole factor that relates the matrix model amplitudes to that of the 2-dimensional string theory, but includes fluctuations around the fermi vacuum on {\\sl both sides} of the inverted harmonic oscillator potential of the double-scaled model, even when the fluctuations are small and confined entirely within the asymptotes in the phase plane. We argue that including fluctuations on both sides of the potential is essential for a consistent interpretation of the leg-pole transformed theory as a theory of space-time gravity. We reproduce the known results for the string theory tree level scattering amplitudes for flat space and linear dilaton background as a special case. We show that the generic case corresponds to more general space-time backgrounds. In particular, we identify the parameter corresponding to background metric perturbation in string theory (black hole mass) in terms of the ...

  11. Instantons and cosmologies in string theory

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Collinucci, Giulio

    2005-01-01

    This thesis deals with problems in two subdomains of string theory that are a priori unrelated, and in the last chapter, links are established between those two. The first topic of research is that of D-instantons. These are mathematical objects that allow one to compute physical effects that are

  12. String theory: A brand new theory that claims to explain everything in existence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pal, P.B.

    1988-01-01

    Background of the origin of the string theories which have shown possibilities of unifying all four basic forces including gravity is described and the concepts behind these theories are explained for the layman. (M.G.R.)

  13. General rotating black holes in string theory: Greybody factors and event horizons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cvetic, M.; Larsen, F.

    1997-01-01

    We derive the wave equation for a minimally coupled scalar field in the background of a general rotating five-dimensional black hole. It is written in a form that involves two types of thermodynamic variables, defined at the inner and outer event horizon, respectively. We model the microscopic structure as an effective string theory, with the thermodynamic properties of the left- and right-moving excitations related to those of the horizons. Previously known solutions to the wave equation are generalized to the rotating case, and their regime of validity is sharpened. We calculate the greybody factors and interpret the resulting Hawking emission spectrum microscopically in several limits. We find a U-duality-invariant expression for the effective string length that does not assume a hierarchy between the charges. It accounts for the universal low-energy absorption cross section in the general nonextremal case. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

  14. Loop homotopy algebras in closed string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Markl, M.

    2001-01-01

    Barton Zwiebach (1993) constructed ''string products'' on the Hilbert space of a combined conformal field theory of matter and ghosts, satisfying the ''main identity''. It has been well known that the ''tree level'' of the theory gives an example of a strongly homotopy Lie algebra (though, as we will see later, this is not the whole truth). Strongly homotopy Lie algebras are now well-understood objects. On the one hand, strongly homotopy Lie algebra is given by a square zero coderivation on the cofree cocommutative connected coalgebra on the other hand, strongly homotopy Lie algebras are algebras over the cobar dual of the operad Com for commutative algebras. No such characterization of the structure of string products for arbitrary genera has been available, though there are two series of papers directly pointing towards the requisite characterization. As far as the characterization in terms of (co)derivations is concerned, we need the concept of higher order (co)derivations. For our characterization we need to understand the behavior of these higher (co)derivations on (co)free (co)algebras. The necessary machinery for the operadic approach is that of modular operads. We also indicate how to adapt the loop homotopy structure to the case of open string field theory. (orig.)

  15. A unifying theory The universe on a string

    CERN Multimedia

    Greene, Brian

    2006-01-01

    Seventy-five years ago, Albert Einstein completed his unified field theory; but, as had happened before and would happen again, Einstein had to go bak to the drawing board. Much progress have been inspired, with the most recent advances coming from an approach called string theory. (1,5 page)

  16. Cosmological singularities in string and M-theory cosmology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vazquez-Mozo, M.A.; Ibanez, J.

    2000-01-01

    I discuss the point of view that non-renormalizability in General Relativity is a consequence of dealing with a low-energy effective field theory of the gravitational field, and how Einstein-Brans-Dicke gravity is retrieved from string/M-theory at low energies. After examining the role of stringy

  17. Improved Off-Shell Scattering Amplitudes in String Field Theory and New Computational Methods

    CERN Document Server

    Park, I Y; Bars, Itzhak

    2004-01-01

    We report on new results in Witten's cubic string field theory for the off-shell factor in the 4-tachyon amplitude that was not fully obtained explicitly before. This is achieved by completing the derivation of the Veneziano formula in the Moyal star formulation of Witten's string field theory (MSFT). We also demonstrate detailed agreement of MSFT with a number of on-shell and off-shell computations in other approaches to Witten's string field theory. We extend the techniques of computation in MSFT, and show that the j=0 representation of SL(2,R) generated by the Virasoro operators $L_{0},L_{\\pm1}$ is a key structure in practical computations for generating numbers. We provide more insight into the Moyal structure that simplifies string field theory, and develop techniques that could be applied more generally, including nonperturbative processes.

  18. Grand Unification as a Bridge Between String Theory and Phenomenology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pati, Jogesh C.

    2006-06-09

    In the first part of the talk, I explain what empirical evidence points to the need for having an effective grand unification-like symmetry possessing the symmetry SU(4)-color in 4D. If one assumes the premises of a future predictive theory including gravity--be it string/M theory or a reincarnation--this evidence then suggests that such a theory should lead to an effective grand unification-like symmetry as above in 4D, near the string-GUT-scale, rather than the standard model symmetry. Advantages of an effective supersymmetric G(224) = SU(2){sub L} x SU(2){sub R} x SU(4){sup c} or SO(10) symmetry in 4D in explaining (1) observed neutrino oscillations, (2) baryogenesis via leptogenesis, and (3) certain fermion mass-relations are noted. And certain distinguishing tests of a SUSY G(224) or SO(10)-framework involving CP and flavor violations (as in {mu} {yields} e{gamma}, {tau} {yields} {mu}{gamma}, edm's of the neutron and the electron) as well as proton decay are briefly mentioned. Recalling some of the successes we have had in our understanding of nature so far, and the current difficulties of string/M theory as regards the large multiplicity of string vacua, some comments are made on the traditional goal of understanding vis a vis the recently evolved view of landscape and anthropism.

  19. Grand Unification as a Bridge Between String Theory and Phenomenology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pati, Jogesh C.

    In the first part of this paper, we explain what empirical evidence points to the need for having an effective grand unification-like symmetry possessing the symmetry SU(4)-color in 4D. If one assumes the premises of a future predictive theory including gravity — be it string/M-theory or a reincarnation — this evidence then suggests that such a theory should lead to an effective grand unification-like symmetry as above in 4D, near the string-GUT-scale, rather than the standard model symmetry. Advantages of an effective supersymmetric G(224) = SU(2)L × SU(2)R × SU(4)c or SO(10) symmetry in 4D in explaining (i) observed neutrino oscillations, (ii) baryogenesis via leptogenesis, and (iii) certain fermion mass-relations are noted. And certain distinguishing tests of a SUSY G(224) or SO(10)-framework involving CP and flavor violations (as in μ → eγ, τ → μγ, edm's of the neutron and the electron) as well as proton decay are briefly mentioned. Recalling some of the successes we have had in our understanding of nature so far, and the current difficulties of string/M-theory as regards the large multiplicity of string vacua, some comments are made on the traditional goal of understanding vis a vis the recently evolved view of landscape and anthropism.

  20. Grand Unification as a Bridge Between String Theory and Phenomenology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pati, J

    2006-01-01

    In the first part of the talk, I explain what empirical evidence points to the need for having an effective grand unification-like symmetry possessing the symmetry SU(4)-color in 4D. If one assumes the premises of a future predictive theory including gravity--be it string/M theory or a reincarnation--this evidence then suggests that such a theory should lead to an effective grand unification-like symmetry as above in 4D, near the string-GUT-scale, rather than the standard model symmetry. Advantages of an effective supersymmetric G(224) = SU(2) L x SU(2) R x SU(4) c or SO(10) symmetry in 4D in explaining (1) observed neutrino oscillations, (2) baryogenesis via leptogenesis, and (3) certain fermion mass-relations are noted. And certain distinguishing tests of a SUSY G(224) or SO(10)-framework involving CP and flavor violations (as in μ → eγ, τ → μγ, edm's of the neutron and the electron) as well as proton decay are briefly mentioned. Recalling some of the successes we have had in our understanding of nature so far, and the current difficulties of string/M theory as regards the large multiplicity of string vacua, some comments are made on the traditional goal of understanding vis a vis the recently evolved view of landscape and anthropism

  1. $\\mathcal{N}=2^\\star$ from Topological Amplitudes in String Theory

    CERN Document Server

    Florakis, Ioannis

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we explicitly construct string theory backgrounds that realise the so-called $\\mathcal N=2^\\star$ gauge theory. We prove the consistency of our models by calculating their partition function and obtaining the correct gauge theory spectrum. We further provide arguments in favour of the universality of our construction which covers a wide class of models all of which engineer the same gauge theory. We reproduce the corresponding Nekrasov partition function once the $\\Omega$-deformation is included and the appropriate field theory limit taken. This is achieved by calculating the topological amplitudes $F_g$ in the string models. In addition to heterotic and type II constructions, we also realise the mass deformation in type I theory, thus leading to a natural way of uplifting the result to the instanton sector.

  2. String Gas Cosmology

    OpenAIRE

    Brandenberger, Robert H.

    2008-01-01

    String gas cosmology is a string theory-based approach to early universe cosmology which is based on making use of robust features of string theory such as the existence of new states and new symmetries. A first goal of string gas cosmology is to understand how string theory can effect the earliest moments of cosmology before the effective field theory approach which underlies standard and inflationary cosmology becomes valid. String gas cosmology may also provide an alternative to the curren...

  3. Representation dependence of k -strings in pure Yang-Mills theory via supersymmetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anber, Mohamed M.; Pellizzani, Vito

    2017-12-01

    We exploit a conjectured continuity between super Yang-Mills on R3×S1 and pure Yang-Mills to study k -strings in the latter theory. As expected, we find that Wilson-loop correlation functions depend on the N-ality of a representation R to the leading order. However, the next-to-leading order correction is not universal and is given by the group characters, in the representation R , of the permutation group. We also study W-bosons in super Yang-Mills. We show that they are deconfined on the string world sheet, and therefore, they can change neither the string N-ality nor its tension. This phenomenon mirrors the fact that soft gluons do not screen probe charges with nonzero N-ality in pure Yang-Mills. Finally, we comment on the scaling law of k -strings in super Yang-Mills and compare our findings with strings in Seiberg-Witten theory, deformed Yang-Mills theory, and holographic studies that were performed in the 't Hooft large-N limit.

  4. F-Theory, spinning black holes and multi-string branches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haghighat, Babak; Murthy, Sameer; Vafa, Cumrun; Vandoren, Stefan

    2016-01-01

    We study 5d supersymmetric black holes which descend from strings of generic N=(1,0) supergravity in 6d. These strings have an F-theory realization in 6d as D3 branes wrapping smooth genus g curves in the base of elliptic 3-folds. They enjoy (0,4) worldsheet supersymmetry with an extra SU(2) L current algebra at level g realized on the left-movers. When the smooth curves degenerate they lead to multi-string branches and we find that the microscopic worldsheet theory flows in the IR to disconnected 2d CFTs having different central charges. The single string sector is the one with maximal central charge, which when wrapped on a circle, leads to a 5d spinning BPS black hole whose horizon volume agrees with the leading entropy prediction from the Cardy formula. However, we find new phenomena where this branch meets other branches of the CFT. These include multi-string configurations which have no bound states in 6 dimensions but are bound through KK momenta when wrapping a circle, as well as loci where the curves degenerate to spheres. These loci lead to black hole configurations which can have total angular momentum relative to a Taub-Nut center satisfying J 2 >M 3 and whose number of states, though exponentially large, grows much slower than those of the large spinning black hole.

  5. Negative energy in string theory and cosmic censorship violation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hertog, Thomas; Horowitz, Gary T.; Maeda, Kengo

    2004-01-01

    We find asymptotically anti-de Sitter solutions in N=8 supergravity which have a negative total energy. This is possible since the boundary conditions required for the positive energy theorem are stronger than those required for a finite mass (and allowed by string theory). But the stability of the anti-de Sitter vacuum is still ensured by the positivity of a modified energy, which includes an extra surface term. Some of the negative energy solutions describe the classical evolution of nonsingular initial data to naked singularities. Since there is an open set of such solutions, cosmic censorship is violated generically in supergravity. Using the dual field theory description, we argue that these naked singularities will be resolved in the full string theory

  6. Kahler stabilized, modular invariant heterotic string models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaillard, Mary K.; Gaillard, Mary K.; Nelson, Brent D.

    2007-01-01

    We review the theory and phenomenology of effective supergravity theories based on orbifold compactifications of the weakly-coupled heterotic string. In particular, we consider theories in which the four-dimensional theory displays target space modular invariance and where the dilatonic mode undergoes Kahler stabilization. A self-contained exposition of effective Lagrangian approaches to gaugino condensation and heterotic string theory is presented, leading to the development of the models of Bintruy, Gaillard and Wu. Various aspects of the phenomenology of this class of models are considered. These include issues of supersymmetry breaking and superpartner spectra, the role of anomalous U(1) factors, issues of flavor and R-parity conservation, collider signatures, axion physics, and early universe cosmology. For the vast majority of phenomenological considerations the theories reviewed here compare quite favorably to other string-derived models in the literature. Theoretical objections to the framework and directions for further research are identified and discussed

  7. CERN Winter School on Supergravity, Strings, and Gauge Theory 2010

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2010-01-01

    The CERN Winter School on Supergravity, Strings, and Gauge Theory is the analytic continuation of the yearly training school of the former EC-RTN string network "Constituents, Fundamental Forces and Symmetries of the Universe". The 2010 edition of the school is supported and organized by the CERN Theory Divison, and will take place from Monday January 25 to Friday January 29, at CERN. As its predecessors, this school is meant primarily for training of doctoral students and young postdoctoral researchers in recent developments in theoretical high-energy physics and string theory. The programme of the school will consist of five series of pedagogical lectures, complemented by tutorial discussion sessions in the afternoons. Previous schools in this series were organized in 2005 at SISSA in Trieste, and in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 at CERN, Geneva. Other similar schools have been organized in the past by the former related RTN network "The Quantum Structure of Spacetime and the Geometric Nature of Fundamenta...

  8. Instability of black strings in the third-order Lovelock theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giacomini, Alex; Henríquez-Báez, Carla; Lagos, Marcela; Oliva, Julio; Vera, Aldo

    2016-05-01

    We show that homogeneous black strings of third-order Lovelock theory are unstable under s-wave perturbations. This analysis is done in dimension D =9 , which is the lowest dimension that allows the existence of homogeneous black strings in a theory that contains only the third-order Lovelock term in the Lagrangian. As is the case in general relativity, the instability is produced by long wavelength perturbations and it stands for the perturbative counterpart of a thermal instability. We also provide a comparative analysis of the instabilities of black strings at a fixed radius in general relativity, Gauss-Bonnet, and third-order Lovelock theories. We show that the minimum critical wavelength that triggers the instability grows with the power of the curvature defined in the Lagrangian. The maximum exponential growth during the time of the perturbation is the largest in general relativity and it decreases with the number of curvatures involved in the Lagrangian.

  9. Counting states of black strings with traveling waves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horowitz, G.T.; Marolf, D.

    1997-01-01

    We consider a family of solutions to string theory which depend on arbitrary functions and contain regular event horizons. They describe six-dimensional extremal black strings with traveling waves and have an inhomogeneous distribution of momentum along the string. The structure of these solutions near the horizon is studied and the horizon area computed. We also count the number of BPS string states at weak coupling whose macroscopic momentum distribution agrees with that of the black string. It is shown that the number of such states is given by the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of the black string with traveling waves. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

  10. Gauge-string duality for superconformal deformations of N = 4 Super Yang-Mills theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frolov, Sergey A.; Roiban, Radu; Tseytlin, Arkady A.

    2005-01-01

    We analyze in detail the relation between an exactly marginal deformation of N = 4 SYM - the Leigh-Strassler or 'β-deformation' - and its string theory dual (recently constructed in hep-th/0502086) by comparing energies of semiclassical strings to anomalous dimensions of gauge-theory operators in the two-scalar sector. We stress the existence of integrable structures on the two sides of the duality. In particular, we argue that the integrability of strings in AdS 5 x S 5 implies the integrability of the deformed world sheet theory with real deformation parameter. We compare the fast string limit of the worldsheet action in the sector with two angular momenta with the continuum limit of the coherent state action of an anisotropic XXZ spin chain describing the one-loop anomalous dimensions of the corresponding operators and find a remarkable agreement for all values of the deformation parameter. We discuss some of the properties of the Bethe Ansatz for this spin chain, solve the Bethe equations for small number of excitations and comment on higher loop properties of the dilatation operator. With the goal of going beyond the leading order in the 't Hooft expansion we derive the analog of the Bethe equations on the string-theory side, and show that they coincide with the thermodynamic limit of the Bethe equations for the spin chain. We also compute the 1/J corrections to the anomalous dimensions of operators with large R-charge (corresponding to strings with angular momentum J) and match them to the 1-loop corrections to the fast string energies. Our results suggest that the impressive agreement between the gauge theory and semiclassical strings in AdS 5 x S 5 is part of a larger picture underlying the gauge/gravity duality

  11. Complex geometry and quantum string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belavin, A.A.; Knizhnik, V.G.

    1986-01-01

    Summation over closed oriented surfaces of genus p ≥ 2 (p - loop vacuum amplitudes in boson string theory) in a critical dimensions D=26 is reduced to integration over M p space of complex structures of Riemann surfaces of genus p. The analytic properties of the integration measure as a function of the complex coordinates on M p are studied. It is shown that the measure multiplied by (det Im τ-circumflex) 13 (τ-circumflex is the surface period matrix) is the square of the modulus of a function which is holomorphic on M p and does not vanish anywhere. The function has a second order pole at infinity of compactified space of moduli M p . These properties define the measure uniquely up to a constant multiple and this permits one to set up explicitformulae for p=2,3 in terms of the theta-constants. Power and logarithmic divergences connected with renormalization of the tachyon wave function and of the slope respectively are involved in the theory. Quantum geometry of critical strings turns out to be a complex geometry

  12. The emergence of spacetime in string theory

    CERN Document Server

    Vistarini, Tiziana

    2018-01-01

    The nature of space and time is one of the most fascinating and fundamental philosophical issues which presently engages at the deepest level with physics. During the last thirty years this notion has been object of an intense critical review in the light of new scientific theories which try to combine the principles of both general relativity and quantum theory—called theories of quantum gravity. This book considers the way string theory shapes its own account of spacetime disappearance from the fundamental level.

  13. An overview of progress in string theory

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    There has been many interesting developments in string theory in last .... on T is S-dual to type IIA compactified on K¿, although in D = 10 these are two distinct .... matrix that will describe the above process will loose its unitarity property.

  14. E-string theory on Riemann surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Hee-Cheol; Vafa, Cumrun [Jefferson Physical Laboratory, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (United States); Razamat, Shlomo S. [Physics Department, Technion, Haifa (Israel); Zafrir, Gabi [Kavli IPMU (WPI), UTIAS, the University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba (Japan)

    2018-01-15

    We study compactifications of the 6d E-string theory, the theory of a small E{sub 8} instanton, to four dimensions. In particular we identify N = 1 field theories in four dimensions corresponding to compactifications on arbitrary Riemann surfaces with punctures and with arbitrary non-abelian flat connections as well as fluxes for the abelian sub-groups of the E{sub 8} flavor symmetry. This sheds light on emergent symmetries in a number of 4d N = 1 SCFTs (including the 'E7 surprise' theory) as well as leads to new predictions for a large number of 4-dimensional exceptional dualities and symmetries. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  15. Transverse structure of the QCD string

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyer, Harvey B.

    2010-01-01

    The characterization of the transverse structure of the QCD string is discussed. We formulate a conjecture as to how the stress-energy tensor of the underlying gauge theory couples to the string degrees of freedom. A consequence of the conjecture is that the energy density and the longitudinal-stress operators measure the distribution of the transverse position of the string, to leading order in the string fluctuations, whereas the transverse-stress operator does not. We interpret recent numerical measurements of the transverse size of the confining string and show that the difference of the energy and longitudinal-stress operators is a particularly natural probe at next-to-leading order. Second, we derive the constraints imposed by open-closed string duality on the transverse structure of the string. We show that a total of three independent ''gravitational'' form factors characterize the transverse profile of the closed string, and obtain the interpretation of recent effective string theory calculations: the square radius of a closed string of length β defined from the slope of its gravitational form factor, is given by (d-1/2πσ)log(β/4r 0 ) in d space dimensions. This is to be compared with the well-known result that the width of the open string at midpoint grows as (d-1/2πσ)log(r/r 0 ). We also obtain predictions for transition form factors among closed-string states.

  16. From twistor string theory to recursion relations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spradlin, Marcus; Volovich, Anastasia

    2009-01-01

    Witten's twistor string theory gives rise to an enigmatic formula 1 known as the 'connected prescription' for tree-level Yang-Mills scattering amplitudes. We derive a link representation for the connected prescription by Fourier transforming it to mixed coordinates in terms of both twistor and dual twistor variables. We show that it can be related to other representations of amplitudes by applying the global residue theorem to deform the contour of integration. For six and seven particles we demonstrate explicitly that certain contour deformations rewrite the connected prescription as the Britto-Cachazo-Feng-Witten representation, thereby establishing a concrete link between Witten's twistor string theory and the dual formulation for the S matrix of the N=4 SYM recently proposed by Arkani-Hamed et al. Other choices of integration contour also give rise to 'intermediate prescriptions'. We expect a similar though more intricate structure for more general amplitudes.

  17. Introduction to string field theory. A pedestrian approach to the covariant formulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    West, G.B.

    1986-01-01

    A relatively elementary account is given of what a string field represents and what is involved in the construction of its covariant action. Emphasis is on drawing a correspondence with similar problems in ordinary field theory and, particularly, using the language and mathematics used in ordinary field theory. Only the free string is discussed. 17 refs., 3 figs

  18. Introduction to string field theory. A pedestrian approach to the covariant formulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    West, G.B.

    1986-01-01

    A relatively elementary account is given of what a string field represents and what is involved in the construction of its covariant action. Emphasis is on drawing a correspondence with similar problems in ordinary field theory and, particularly, using the language and mathematics used in ordinary field theory. Only the free string is discussed. 17 refs., 3 figs. (LEW)

  19. The AdS3 central charge in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Troost, Jan

    2011-01-01

    We evaluate the vacuum expectation value of the central charge operator in string theory in an AdS 3 vacuum. Our calculation provides a rare non-zero one-point function on a spherical worldsheet. The evaluation involves the regularization both of a worldsheet ultraviolet divergence (associated to the infinite volume of the conformal Killing group), and a space-time infrared divergence (corresponding to the infinite volume of space-time). The two divergences conspire to give a finite result, which is the classical general relativity value for the central charge, corrected in bosonic string theory by an infinite series of tree level higher derivative terms.

  20. Complex geometry and string theory. Part 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morozov, A.; Perelomov, A.

    1989-01-01

    Methods of calculation on the Reimann surfaces are given. The structure of determinant stratifications over spaces of the Riemann surface moduli is described. Obvious formulas for cross sections of the stratifications and for the Polyakov measure in the theory of closed boson strings are given

  1. Chern-Simons gauge theory on orbifolds: Open strings from three dimensions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hořava, Petr

    1996-12-01

    Chern-Simons gauge theory is formulated on three-dimensional Z2 orbifolds. The locus of singular points on a given orbifold is equivalent to a link of Wilson lines. This allows one to reduce any correlation function on orbifolds to a sum of more complicated correlation functions in the simpler theory on manifolds. Chern-Simons theory on manifolds is known to be related to two-dimensional (2D) conformal field theory (CFT) on closed-string surfaces; here it is shown that the theory on orbifolds is related to 2D CFT of unoriented closed- and open-string models, i.e. to worldsheet orbifold models. In particular, the boundary components of the worldsheet correspond to the components of the singular locus in the 3D orbifold. This correspondence leads to a simple identification of the open-string spectra, including their Chan-Paton degeneration, in terms of fusing Wilson lines in the corresponding Chern-Simons theory. The correspondence is studied in detail, and some exactly solvable examples are presented. Some of these examples indicate that it is natural to think of the orbifold group Z2 as a part of the gauge group of the Chern-Simons theory, thus generalizing the standard definition of gauge theories.

  2. RTN Winter School on Strings, Supergravity and Gauge Theories (3/5)

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2006-01-01

    9.30-10.30 B. Pioline Black Hole Degeneracies, Topological Strings and Quantum Attractor Flow (2/4) 10.30-11.30 S. Minwalla Large N Thermal Phase Transitions (2/4) 12.15-13.15 B. Craps Big Bang Models in String Theory (3/4) 14.00 CERN presentation and visit Organiser(s): CERN and Neuchâtel UniversityMore information: http://www.unine.ch/phys/string/rtn-school/index.php

  3. Remarks on the three-level topological string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Budzynski, R.J.

    1997-01-01

    A few observations concerning topological string theories at the string-tree level are presented: (1) The tree-level, large phase space solution of an arbitrary model is expressed in terms of a variational problem, with an ''action'' equal, at the solution, to the one-point function of the puncture operator, and found by solving equations of Gauss-Manin type; (2) For A k Landau-Ginzburg models, an extension to large phase space of the usual residue formula for three-point functions is given. (author)

  4. Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize Lecture: The Higgs Boson, String Theory, and the Real World

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kane, Gordon

    2012-03-01

    In this talk I'll describe how string theory is exciting because it can address most, perhaps all, of the questions we hope to understand about our world: why quarks and leptons make up our world, what forces form our world, cosmology, parity violation, and much more. I'll explain why string theory is testable in basically the same ways as the rest of physics, and why much of what is written about that is misleading. String theory is already or soon being tested in several ways, including correctly predicting the recently observed Higgs boson properties and mass, and predictions for dark matter, LHC physics, cosmological history, and more, from work in the increasingly active subfield ``string phenomenology.''

  5. A review of the theories of non-critical strings and random surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ambjoern, J.

    1988-11-01

    I review the basic properties of the theory of random surfaces. It is shown that the theory gives a correct description of strings in dimensions d≤1 and of matter fields with central charge c≤1. In this region it coincides with the new results of Knizhnik, Polyakov and Zamolodchikov. Analytical and numerical results for the discretized model and for the standard continuum string model for d>1 indicate a trivial theory in this region. (orig.)

  6. Particle crossing versus field crossing; a corrective response to Duff's recent account of string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schroer, Bert; FU-Berlin

    2012-02-01

    Using recent results of advanced quantum field theory, we confute some of M. Duff's claims about string theory which he wrote as an invited paper to the project 'Forty Years Of String Theory: Reflecting on the Foundations' (author)

  7. Correspondence principle for black holes and strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horowitz, G.T.; Polchinski, J.

    1997-01-01

    For most black holes in string theory, the Schwarzschild radius in string units decreases as the string coupling is reduced. We formulate a correspondence principle, which states that (i) when the size of the horizon drops below the size of a string, the typical black hole state becomes a typical state of strings and D-branes with the same charges, and (ii) the mass does not change abruptly during the transition. This provides a statistical interpretation of black hole entropy. This approach does not yield the numerical coefficient, but gives the correct dependence on mass and charge in a wide range of cases, including neutral black holes. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

  8. $N=2^∗$ (non-)Abelian theory in the $\\Omega$ background from string theory

    CERN Document Server

    Samsonyan, Marine; Antoniadis, Ignatios

    2018-01-01

    We present a D-brane realisation of the Abelian and non-Abelian N = 2 ∗ theory both in five and four dimensions. We compute topological amplitudes in string theory for Ω deformed spacetime first with one and then with two parameters. In the field theory limit we recover the perturbative partition function of the deformed N = 2 ∗ theory in agreement with the existing literature.

  9. Quantum moduli spaces of N=1 string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banks, T.; Dine, M.

    1996-01-01

    Generically, string models with N=1 supersymmetry are not expected to have moduli beyond perturbation theory; stringy nonperturbative effects as well as low energy field-theoretic phenomena such as gluino condensation will lift any flat directions. In this work, we describe models where some subspace of the moduli space survives nonperturbatively. Discrete R symmetries forbid any inherently stringy effects, and dynamical considerations control the field-theoretic effects. The surviving subspace is a space of high symmetry; the system is attracted to this subspace by a potential which we compute. Models of this type may be useful for considerations of duality and raise troubling cosmological questions about string theory. Our considerations also suggest a mechanism for fixing the expectation value of the dilaton. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

  10. Notes on Mathematical Language: Development Strings, Development Patterns, String Theory and Conditions Language

    CERN Document Server

    Struck, James T

    2003-01-01

    Mathematics, according to Lancelot Hogben, is the language of size, shape, and order. This note adds two words to the language of mathematics. First, a verb, develop or develops, is introduced to describe a development pattern or development string. These are patterns of development with examples from fibrillation, spread of electric changes in muscles and nerves, and matter changing into energy. The relevance of this idea to the idea in physics called String Theory is discussed. A critical comment on the use of the String, rather than other objects like circles, boxes, or spheres is made. Second, an adjective or adverb called conditions language is introduced. Equations like E=mc2, Coulomb's law, Newton's law of Gravitation, the equation for the definition of pie and the path to peace and war are discussed with relevance to the idea of conditions language. Conditions language is nothing more than including the relevant conditions where the equation works or when it applies in parentheses with the equation. V...

  11. Non-topological non-commutativity in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guttenberg, S.; Herbst, M.; Kreuzer, M.; Rashkov, R.

    2008-01-01

    Quantization of coordinates leads to the non-commutative product of deformation quantization, but is also at the roots of string theory, for which space-time coordinates become the dynamical fields of a two-dimensional conformal quantum field theory. Appositely, open string diagrams provided the inspiration for Kontsevich's solution of the long-standing problem of quantization of Poisson geometry by virtue of his formality theorem. In the context of D-brane physics non-commutativity is not limited, however, to the topological sector. We show that non-commutative effective actions still make sense when associativity is lost and establish a generalized Connes-Flato-Sternheimer condition through second order in a derivative expansion. The measure in general curved backgrounds is naturally provided by the Born-Infeld action and reduces to the symplectic measure in the topological limit, but remains non-singular even for degenerate Poisson structures. Analogous superspace deformations by RR-fields are also discussed. (Abstract Copyright [2008], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  12. Type IIA string theory on T"6/(Z_2 x Z_6 x ΩR). Model building and string phenomenology with intersecting D6-branes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ecker, Jill

    2016-01-01

    In this doctoral thesis, various aspects of string model building and phenomenology are investigated within the framework of Type IIA string theory on the T"6/(Z_2 x Z_6 x ΩR) orbifold with discrete torsion. The aim is the reproduction of supersymmetric versions of well-known particle physics models using intersecting rigid D6-branes wrapped on fractional three-cycles. The models analyzed include the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model as well as supersymmetric Pati-Salam models, left-right symmetric models and SU(5) models. Systematic computer scans test numerous combinations of intersecting D6-branes in order to detect those that give rise to the correct chiral particle content of the considered models. For each type of the afore mentioned models, concrete examples will be found which satisfy the constraints on the particle spectrum and fulfill all consistency conditions. Finally, the thesis focuses on phenomenological aspects of the particle physics models found, including the detection of massless U(1) combinations, discrete Z_n-symmetries and cubic couplings such as the Yukawa couplings.

  13. The method of finite-gap integration in classical and semi-classical string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vicedo, Benoit

    2011-01-01

    In view of proving the AdS/CFT correspondence one day, a deeper understanding of string theory on certain curved backgrounds such as AdS 5 x S 5 is required. In this review we make a step in this direction by focusing on RxS 3 . It was discovered in recent years that string theory on AdS 5 x S 5 admits a Lax formulation. However, the complete statement of integrability requires not only the existence of a Lax formulation but also that the resulting integrals of motion are in pairwise involution. This idea is central to the first part of this review. Exploiting this integrability we apply algebro-geometric methods to string theory on RxS 3 and obtain the general finite-gap solution. The construction is based on an invariant algebraic curve previously found in the AdS 5 x S 5 case. However, encoding the dynamics of the solution requires specification of additional marked points. By restricting the symplectic structure of the string to these algebro-geometric data we derive the action-angle variables of the system. We then perform a first-principle semiclassical quantization of string theory on RxS 3 as a toy model for strings on AdS 5 x S 5 . The result is exactly what one expects from the dual gauge theory perspective, namely the underlying algebraic curve discretizes in a natural way. We also derive a general formula for the fluctuation energies around the generic finite-gap solution. The ideas used can be generalized to AdS 5 x S 5 . (review)

  14. Strings draw theorists together

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Green, Michael

    2000-01-01

    has been learned about the non-perturbative extension of string theory now known as ''M theory'' and this has shed light on many previously mysterious aspects of quantum field theory. The range of new and potentially important developments is indeed impressive. One example is the accumulation of results on the role of ''noncommutative geometry'' in string theory. Another major theme of the meeting was the new ideas on how string theory may describe observed physics, such as the forces and particles in nature and their properties. The recent work by Lisa Randall of Princeton University and Raman Sundrum of Boston University is a variant of the ''brane world'' idea that has come to the fore over the past couple of years. According to this idea, which was reviewed by Randall at the conference, our four-dimensional universe can be thought of as a membrane (known as a three-brane) that is embedded inside a higher-dimensional universe. The number of higher dimensions is predicted by the structure of string theory. The possible consequences of this are striking. For example, in such a universe the fundamental energy scale of the theory may be much smaller than the Planck energy of 10 19 GeV. Indeed, the scale could be so small that it will be accessible to direct experimental observation using the next generation of accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider that is currently under construction at CERN. This theme was further developed by Steven Hawking, who conjectured on how such a universe might have evolved from the initial quantum state that preceded the big bang. One of the most exciting developments over the past few years has been in understanding how so-called Yang-Mills gauge theories - the bread and butter of the Standard Model of particle physics - are related to quantum gravity by string theory. Particularly important is the so-called ''Maldacena correspondence'', first developed by Juan Maldacena of Harvard University. This correspondence gives an explicit

  15. Spinning and rotating strings for N=1 SYM theory and brane constructions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schvellinger, Martin

    2004-01-01

    We obtain spinning and rotating closed string solutions in AdS 5 x T 1,1 background, and show how these solutions can be mapped onto rotating closed strings embedded in configurations of intersecting branes in type IIA string theory. Then, we discuss spinning closed string solutions in the UV limit of the Klebanov-Tseytlin background, and also properties of classical solutions in the related intersecting brane constructions in the UV limit. We comment on extensions of this analysis to the deformed conifold background, and in the corresponding intersecting brane construction, as well as its relation to the deep IR limit of the Klebanov-Strassler solution. We briefly discuss on the relation between type IIA brane constructions and their related M-theory descriptions, and how solitonic solutions are related in both descriptions. (author)

  16. Three-charge black holes and quarter BPS states in Little String Theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giveon, Amit [Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University,Jerusalem, 91904 (Israel); Harvey, Jeffrey; Kutasov, David; Lee, Sungjay [Enrico Fermi Institute and Department of Physics, The University of Chicago,5620 S. Ellis Av., Chicago, Illinois 60637 (United States)

    2015-12-22

    We show that the system of k NS5-branes wrapping T{sup 4}×S{sup 1} has non-trivial vacuum structure. Different vacua have different spectra of 1/4 BPS states that carry momentum and winding around the S{sup 1}. In one vacuum, such states are described by black holes; in another, they can be thought of as perturbative BPS states in Double Scaled Little String Theory. In general, both kinds of states are present. We compute the degeneracy of perturbative BPS states exactly, and show that it differs from that of the corresponding black holes. We comment on the implication of our results to the black hole microstate program, UV/IR mixing in Little String Theory, string thermodynamics, the string/black hole transition, and other issues.

  17. Recent progress in the theory of noncritical strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kazakov, V.A.; Migdal, A.A.

    1988-01-01

    We compare the results of analytical and numerical studies of lattice 2D quantum gravity, where the internal quantum metric is described by random (dynamical) triangulation, with the recent results of conformal approach developed by Knizhnik, Polyakov and Zamolodchikov. The remarkable agreement is underlined for the interactions of gravity with matter fields: Potts spins, D-dimensional Gaussian fields (bosonic string). Some new results are presented for D=1 discretized bosonic strings satisfying the predictions of conformal theory for the critical exponents: γ str =0, ν str =0, but with unusual logarithmic corrections. (orig.)

  18. Dualities in five dimensions and charged string solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kar, S.; Maharana, J.

    1996-01-01

    We consider an eleven dimensional supergravity compactified on K3 x T 2 and show that the resulting five dimensional theory has identical massless states as that of a heterotic string compactified on a specific five torus T 5 . The strong-weak coupling duality of the five dimensional theory is argued to represent a ten dimensional Type IIA string compactified on K3 x S 1 , supporting the conjecture of string-string duality in six dimensions. In this perspective, we present a magnetically charged solution of the low energy heterotic string effective action in five dimensions with a charge defined on a three sphere S 3 due to the two form potential. We use the Poincare duality to replace the antisymmetric two form with a gauge field in the effective action and obtain a string solution with charge on a two sphere S 2 instead of that on a three sphere S 3 in the five dimensional spacetime. We note that the string-particle duality is accompanied by a change of topology from S 3 to S 2 and vice versa. (orig.)

  19. Equivalence of different formulations of the free Ramond string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sazdovic, B.

    1987-01-01

    We analyze the structure of Witten's formulation of the free Ramond string field theory and show that it is equivalent to other formulations. We establish explicit connections between their string fields. It is shown that the established connections eliminate all terms with mixed mass levels. (orig.)

  20. Topological string theory, modularity and non-perturbative physics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rauch, Marco

    2011-09-15

    In this thesis the holomorphic anomaly of correlators in topological string theory, matrix models and supersymmetric gauge theories is investigated. In the first part it is shown how the techniques of direct integration known from topological string theory can be used to solve the closed amplitudes of Hermitian multi-cut matrix models with polynomial potentials. In the case of the cubic matrix model, explicit expressions for the ring of non-holomorphic modular forms that are needed to express all closed matrix model amplitudes are given. This allows to integrate the holomorphic anomaly equation up to holomorphic modular terms that are fixed by the gap condition up to genus four. There is an one-dimensional submanifold of the moduli space in which the spectral curve becomes the Seiberg-Witten curve and the ring reduces to the non-holomorphic modular ring of the group {gamma}(2). On that submanifold, the gap conditions completely fix the holomorphic ambiguity and the model can be solved explicitly to very high genus. Using these results it is possible to make precision tests of the connection between the large order behavior of the 1/N expansion and non-perturbative effects due to instantons. Finally, it is argued that a full understanding of the large genus asymptotics in the multi-cut case requires a new class of non-perturbative sectors in the matrix model. In the second part a holomorphic anomaly equation for the modified elliptic genus of two M5-branes wrapping a rigid divisor inside a Calabi-Yau manifold is derived using wall-crossing formulae and the theory of mock modular forms. The anomaly originates from restoring modularity of an indefinite theta-function capturing the wall-crossing of BPS invariants associated to D4- D2-D0 brane systems. The compatibility of this equation with anomaly equations previously observed in the context of N=4 topological Yang-Mills theory on P{sup 2} and E-strings obtained from wrapping M5-branes on a del Pezzo surface which in

  1. Topological string theory, modularity and non-perturbative physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rauch, Marco

    2011-09-01

    In this thesis the holomorphic anomaly of correlators in topological string theory, matrix models and supersymmetric gauge theories is investigated. In the first part it is shown how the techniques of direct integration known from topological string theory can be used to solve the closed amplitudes of Hermitian multi-cut matrix models with polynomial potentials. In the case of the cubic matrix model, explicit expressions for the ring of non-holomorphic modular forms that are needed to express all closed matrix model amplitudes are given. This allows to integrate the holomorphic anomaly equation up to holomorphic modular terms that are fixed by the gap condition up to genus four. There is an one-dimensional submanifold of the moduli space in which the spectral curve becomes the Seiberg-Witten curve and the ring reduces to the non-holomorphic modular ring of the group Γ(2). On that submanifold, the gap conditions completely fix the holomorphic ambiguity and the model can be solved explicitly to very high genus. Using these results it is possible to make precision tests of the connection between the large order behavior of the 1/N expansion and non-perturbative effects due to instantons. Finally, it is argued that a full understanding of the large genus asymptotics in the multi-cut case requires a new class of non-perturbative sectors in the matrix model. In the second part a holomorphic anomaly equation for the modified elliptic genus of two M5-branes wrapping a rigid divisor inside a Calabi-Yau manifold is derived using wall-crossing formulae and the theory of mock modular forms. The anomaly originates from restoring modularity of an indefinite theta-function capturing the wall-crossing of BPS invariants associated to D4- D2-D0 brane systems. The compatibility of this equation with anomaly equations previously observed in the context of N=4 topological Yang-Mills theory on P 2 and E-strings obtained from wrapping M5-branes on a del Pezzo surface which in turn is

  2. Open string decoupling and tachyon condensation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chalmers, G.

    2001-01-01

    The amplitudes in perturbative open string theory are examined as functions of the tachyon condensate parameter. The boundary state formalism demonstrates the decoupling of the open string modes at the non-perturbative minima of the tachyon potential via a degeneration of open world-sheets and identifies an independence of the coupling constants g s and g YM at general values of the tachyon condensate. The closed sector is generated at the quantum level; it is also generated at the classical level through the condensation of the propagating open string modes on the D-brane degrees of freedom.

  3. The light-cone gauge in Polyakov's theory of strings and its relation to the conformal gauge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tzani, R.

    1989-01-01

    The author studies the string theory as a gauge theory. The analysis includes the formulation of the interacting bosonic string by fixing the Gervais-Sakita light-cone gauge in Polyakov's path-integral formulation of the theory and the study of the problem of changing gauge in string theory in the context of the functional formulation of the theory. The main results are the following: Mandelstam's picture is obtained from the light-cone gauge fixed Polyakov's theory. Due to the off-diagonal nature of the gauge, the calculation of the determinants differs from the usual (conformal gauge) case. The regularization of the functional integrals associated with these determinants is done by using the conformal-invariance principle. He then shows that the conformal anomaly associated with this new gauge fixing is canceled at dimensions of space-time d = 26. Studying the problem of changing gauge in string theory, he shows the equivalence between the light-cone and conformal gauge in the path-integral formulation of the theory. In particular, by performing a proper change of variables in the commuting and ghost fields in the Polyakov path-integral, the string theory in the conformal gauge is obtained from the light-cone gauge fixed expression. Finally, the problem of changing gauge is generalized to the higher genus surfaces. It is shown that the string theory in the conformal gauge is equivalent to the light-cone gauge fixed theory for surface with arbitrary number of handles

  4. Quantum theory of string in the four-dimensional space-time

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pron'ko, G.P.

    1986-01-01

    The Lorentz invariant quantum theory of string is constructed in four-dimensional space-time. Unlike the traditional approach whose result was breaking of Lorentz invariance, our method is based on the usage of other variables for description of string configurations. The method of an auxiliary spectral problem for periodic potentials is the main tool in construction of these new variables

  5. String-theoretic breakdown of effective field theory near black hole horizons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dodelson, Matthew; Silverstein, Eva

    2017-09-01

    We investigate the validity of the equivalence principle near horizons in string theory, analyzing the breakdown of effective field theory caused by longitudinal string spreading effects. An experiment is set up where a detector is thrown into a black hole a long time after an early infalling string. Light cone gauge calculations, taken at face value, indicate a detectable level of root-mean-square longitudinal spreading of the initial string as measured by the late infaller. This results from the large relative boost between the string and detector in the near-horizon region, which develops automatically despite their modest initial energies outside the black hole and the weak curvature in the geometry. We subject this scenario to basic consistency checks, using these to obtain a relatively conservative criterion for its detectability. In a companion paper, we exhibit longitudinal nonlocality in well-defined gauge-invariant S-matrix calculations, obtaining results consistent with the predicted spreading albeit not in a direct analog of the black hole process. We discuss applications of this effect to the firewall paradox, and estimate the time and distance scales it predicts for new physics near black hole and cosmological horizons.

  6. String duality transformations in f(R) gravity from Noether symmetry approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Capozziello, Salvatore [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli ' ' Federico II' ' , Compl. Univ. di Monte S. Angelo, Edificio G, Via Cinthia, I-80126, Napoli (Italy); Gionti, Gabriele S.J. [Specola Vaticana, Vatican City, V-00120, Vatican City State (Vatican City State, Holy See); Vernieri, Daniele, E-mail: capozziello@na.inf.it, E-mail: ggionti@as.arizona.edu, E-mail: vernieri@iap.fr [Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 et CNRS, UMR 7095, Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris, GReCO, 98bis Bd Arago, 75014 Paris (France)

    2016-01-01

    We select f(R) gravity models that undergo scale factor duality transformations. As a starting point, we consider the tree-level effective gravitational action of bosonic String Theory coupled with the dilaton field. This theory inherits the Busher's duality of its parent String Theory. Using conformal transformations of the metric tensor, it is possible to map the tree-level dilaton-graviton string effective action into f(R) gravity, relating the dilaton field to the Ricci scalar curvature. Furthermore, the duality can be framed under the standard of Noether symmetries and exact cosmological solutions are derived. Using suitable changes of variables, the string-based f(R) Lagrangians are shown in cases where the duality transformation becomes a parity inversion.

  7. String duality transformations in f(R) gravity from Noether symmetry approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Capozziello, Salvatore; Gionti, Gabriele S.J.; Vernieri, Daniele

    2016-01-01

    We select f(R) gravity models that undergo scale factor duality transformations. As a starting point, we consider the tree-level effective gravitational action of bosonic String Theory coupled with the dilaton field. This theory inherits the Busher's duality of its parent String Theory. Using conformal transformations of the metric tensor, it is possible to map the tree-level dilaton-graviton string effective action into f(R) gravity, relating the dilaton field to the Ricci scalar curvature. Furthermore, the duality can be framed under the standard of Noether symmetries and exact cosmological solutions are derived. Using suitable changes of variables, the string-based f(R) Lagrangians are shown in cases where the duality transformation becomes a parity inversion

  8. The physics and mathematics of microstates in string theory: And a monstrous Farey tail

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Lange, P.

    2016-01-01

    A dissertation that delves into physical and mathematical aspects of string theory. In the first part of this work, microscopic properties string theoretic black holes are investigated. The second part is concerned with the moonshine phenomenon. The theory of generalized umbral moonshine is

  9. On the cosmological constant in the heterotic string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gava, E.; Iengo, R.

    1987-01-01

    We examine the possible physical assumptions which can be made in the heterotic string theory in order to derive the vanishing of the cosmological constant within the theory of modular forms on the moduli space. It seems that more mathematical information is needed to reach a definite result. (author)

  10. COSMOS-e'-GTachyon from string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choudhury, Sayantan [Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Department of Theoretical Physics, Mumbai (India); Panda, Sudhakar [Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar, Odisha (India); Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad (India)

    2016-05-15

    In this article, our prime objective is to study the inflationary paradigm in the context of the generalized tachyon (GTachyon) living on the world volume of a non-BPS string theory. The tachyon action is considered here is modified compared to the original action. One can quantify the amount of the modification via a power q instead of 1/2 in the effective action. Using this set-up we study inflation by various types of tachyonic potentials, using which we constrain the index q within, 1/2 < q < 2, and a specific combination (∝ α{sup '}M{sup 4}{sub s}/g{sub s}) of the Regge slope α{sup '}, the string coupling constant g{sub s} and the mass scale of tachyon M{sub s}, from the recent Planck 2015 and Planck+BICEP2/Keck Array joint data. We explicitly study the inflationary consequences from single field, assisted field and multi-field tachyon set-ups. Specifically for the single field and assisted field cases we derive the results in the quasi-de Sitter background in which we will utilize the details of cosmological perturbations and quantum fluctuations. Also we derive the expressions for all inflationary observables using any arbitrary vacuum and the Bunch-Davies vacuum. For the single field and the assisted field cases we derive the inflationary flow equations, new sets of consistency relations. Also we derive the field excursion formula for the tachyon, which shows that assisted inflation is on the safe side compared to the single field case to validate the effective field theory framework. Further we study the features of the CMB angular power spectrum from TT, TE and EE correlations from scalar fluctuations within the allowed range of q for each of the potentials from the single field set-up. We also put constraints from the temperature anisotropy and polarization spectra, which shows that our analysis is consistent with the Planck 2015 data. Finally, using the δN formalism we derive the expressions for inflationary observables in the context of

  11. The string unification of gauge couplings and gauge kinetic mixings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hattori, Chuichiro; Matsuda, Masahisa; Matsuoka, Takeo; Mochinaga, Daizo.

    1993-01-01

    In the superstring models we have not only the complete 27 multiplets of E 6 but also extra incomplete (27+27-bar) chiral supermultiplets being alive at low energies. Associated with these additional multiplets, when the gauge symmetry contains more than one U(1) gauge group, there may exist gauge kinetic mixings among these U(1) gauge groups. In such cases the effect of gauge kinetic mixings should be incorporated into the study of unification of gauge couplings. We study these interesting effects systematically in these models. The string threshold effect is also taken into account. It is found that in the four-generation models we do not have an advisable solution of string unification of gauge couplings consistent with experimental values at the electroweak scale. We also discuss the possible scenarios to solve this problem. (author)

  12. What every physicist should know about string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Witten, Edward

    2015-11-15

    Some of nature’s rhymes—the appearance of similar structures in different areas of physics—underlie the way that string theory potentially unifies gravity with the other forces of nature and eliminates the ultraviolet divergences that plague quantum gravity.

  13. What every physicist should know about string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Witten, Edward

    2015-01-01

    Some of nature’s rhymes—the appearance of similar structures in different areas of physics—underlie the way that string theory potentially unifies gravity with the other forces of nature and eliminates the ultraviolet divergences that plague quantum gravity

  14. Two exercises in supersymmetry: a low-energy supergravity model and free string field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Preitschopf, C.R.

    1986-09-01

    The new features of a supersymmetric standard model in the presence of heavy families are studied. The minimal set of Higgs fields, the desert between the electroweak and the grand unification scale and perturbative values of the dimensionless parameters throughout this region are assumed. Using the numerical as well as the approximate analytic solution of the renormalization group equations, the evolution of all the parameters of the theory are studied in the case of large Yukawa couplings for the fourth family. The desired spontaneous symmetry breaking of the electroweak symmetry takes place only for a rather unnatural choice of the initial values of certain mass parameters at the grand unification scale. If it is gravitino mass smaller than 200 GeV the vacuum expectation values of the Higgs fields emerge necessarily in an interplay of the tree level Higgs potential and its quantum corrections and are approximately equal. The qurak masses of the fourth family are roughly 135 GeV, while the mass of the fourth charged lepton has an upper bound of 90 GeV. Further characteristic features of this scenario are one light neutral Higgs field of mass 50 GeV and gluino masses below 75 GeV. If the gravitino mass is higher than 200 GeV one obtains a scaled up version of the well-known three family, heavy top scenario with quark masses between 40 and 205 GeV and all superparticle masses heavier than 150 GeV except the photino, gluino, one chargino and one neutralino. The gauge-invariant theory of the free bosonic open string is generalized to treat closed strings and superstrings. All of these theories can be written as theories of string differential forms defined on suitable spaces. All of the bosonic theories have exactly the same structure; the Ramond theory takes an analogous first-order form. We show explicitly, how to gauge-fix each action to the light-cone gauge and to the Feynman-Siegel gauge

  15. Planckian axions in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bachlechner, Thomas C.; Long, Cody; McAllister, Liam

    2015-01-01

    We argue that super-Planckian diameters of axion fundamental domains can arise in Calabi-Yau compactifications of string theory. In a theory with N axions θ i , the fundamental domain is a polytope defined by the periodicities of the axions, via constraints of the form −π√N. This result is robust in the presence of P>N constraints, while for P=N the diameter is further enhanced by eigenvector delocalization to N 3/2 f N . We directly verify our results in explicit Calabi-Yau compactifications of type IIB string theory. In the classic example with h 1,1 =51 where parametrically controlled moduli stabilization was demonstrated by Denef et al. in http://dx.doi.org/10.4310/ATMP.2005.v9.n6.a1, the largest metric eigenvalue obeys f N ≈0.013M pl . The random matrix analysis then predicts, and we exhibit, axion diameters ≈M pl for the precise vacuum parameters found in http://dx.doi.org/10.4310/ATMP.2005.v9.n6.a1. Our results provide a framework for pursuing large-field axion inflation in well-understood flux vacua.

  16. Exact marginality in open string field theory. A general framework

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiermaier, M.

    2007-07-01

    We construct analytic solutions of open bosonic string field theory for any exactly marginal deformation in any boundary conformal field theory when properly renormalized operator products of the marginal operator are given. We explicitly provide such renormalized operator products for a class of marginal deformations which include the deformations of flat D-branes in flat backgrounds by constant massless modes of the gauge field and of the scalar fields on the D-branes, the cosine potential for a space-like coordinate, and the hyperbolic cosine potential for the time-like coordinate. In our construction we use integrated vertex operators, which are closely related to finite deformations in boundary conformal field theory, while previous analytic solutions were based on unintegrated vertex operators. We also introduce a modified star product to formulate string field theory around the deformed background. (orig.)

  17. From decay to complete breaking: pulling the strings in SU(2) Yang-Mills theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pepe, M; Wiese, U-J

    2009-05-15

    We study {2Q+1} strings connecting two static charges Q in (2+1)D SU(2) Yang-Mills theory. While the fundamental {2} string between two charges Q=1/2 is unbreakable, the adjoint {3} string connecting two charges Q=1 can break. When a {4} string is stretched beyond a critical length, it decays into a {2} string by gluon pair creation. When a {5} string is stretched, it first decays into a {3} string, which eventually breaks completely. The energy of the screened charges at the ends of a string is well described by a phenomenological constituent gluon model.

  18. Investigations in gauge theories, topological solitons and string theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    This is the Final Report on a supported research project on theoretical particle physics entitled ''Investigations in Gauge Theories, Topological Solitons and String Theories.'' The major theme of particle theory pursued has been within the rubric of the standard model, particularly on the interplay between symmetries and dynamics. Thus, the research has been carried out primarily in the context of gauge with or without chiral fermions and in effective chiral lagrangian field theories. The topics studied include the physical implications of abelian and non-abelian anomalies on the spectrum and possible dynamical symmetry breaking in a wide range of theories. A wide range of techniques of group theory, differential geometry and function theory have been applied to probe topological and conformal properties of quantum field theories in two and higher dimensions, the breaking of global chiral symmetries by vector-like gauge theories such as QCD,the phenomenology of a possibly strongly interacting Higgs sector within the minimal standard model, and the relevance of solitonic ideas to non-perturbative phenomena at SSC energies

  19. Star products on graded manifolds and α′-corrections to Courant algebroids from string theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deser, Andreas, E-mail: andreas.deser@itp.uni-hannover.de [Institut für Theoretische Physik and Riemann Center for Geometry and Physics, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover (Germany)

    2015-09-15

    Courant algebroids, originally used to study integrability conditions for Dirac structures, have turned out to be of central importance to study the effective supergravity limit of string theory. The search for a geometric description of T-duality leads to Double Field Theory (DFT), whose gauge algebra is governed by the C-bracket, a generalization of the Courant bracket in the sense that it reduces to the latter by solving a specific constraint. Recently, in DFT deformations of the C-bracket and O(d, d)-invariant bilinear form to first order in the closed string sigma model coupling, α′ were derived by analyzing the transformation properties of the Neveu-Schwarz B-field. By choosing a particular Poisson structure on the Drinfel’d double corresponding to the Courant algebroid structure of the generalized tangent bundle, we are able to interpret the C-bracket and bilinear form in terms of Poisson brackets. As a result, we reproduce the α′-deformations for a specific solution to the strong constraint of DFT as expansion of a graded version of the Moyal-Weyl star product.

  20. String Theory has Einstein's dream come true?

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2005-01-01

    After having outlined the difficulties that Einstein and others have encountered in trying to unify our understanding of macroscopic/classical and microscopic /quantum physics, I will explain in simple terms how the latest particle theory revolution, string theory, may finally offer a surprisingly simple realization of these long-standing dreams. Einstein thought that his difficulties stemmed from a clash between the classical and the quantum. Yet, paradoxically, superstrings appear to realize his dream thanks to -and not against- quantum mechanics.