Understanding fields using strings: A review

In addition to being a prime candidate for a fundamental unified theory of all interactions in nature, string theory provides a natural setting to understand gauge field theories. This is linked to the concept of ‘D-branes’: extended, solitonic excitations of string theory which can be studied using techniques of string theory and which support gauge fields localized along their world-volumes. It follows that the techniques of string theory can be very useful even for those particle physicists who are not specifically interested in unification and/or quantum gravity. In this talk I attempt to review how strings help us to understand fields. The discussion is restricted to 3+1 spacetime dimensions.     

Polylogarithms,multiple zeta values and superstring amplitudes

A formalism is provided to calculate tree amplitudes in open superstring theory for any multiplicity at any order in the inverse string tension. We point out that the underlying world‐sheet disk integrals share substantial properties with color‐ordered tree amplitudes in Yang‐Mills field theories. In particular, we closely relate world‐sheet integrands of open‐string tree amplitudes to the Kawai‐Lewellen‐Tye representation of supergravity amplitudes. This correspondence helps to reduce the singular parts of world‐sheet disk integrals – including their string corrections – to lower‐point results. The remaining regular parts are systematically addressed by polylogarithm manipulations.     

Modular invariance and the spectrum of two dimensional conformal field theories

Modular invariance has recently emerged as a powerful tool in conformal field theory. In conjunction with the representation theory of infinite dimensional Lie algebras, the study of modular invariance gave the spectrum of several families of theories. These include the minimal conformal models (Cardy and others), WZW theories which describe string propagation on group manifolds (Gepner and Witten) and parafermionic field theories (Gepner and Qiu). The minimal conformal models models were shown to be a product of two SU(2) WZW theories (Gepner). These results represent a step towards a complete classification of conformal field theories, an important goal both for the study of critical phenomena and string theory.     

Curvature-corrected dilatonic black holes and black hole—string transition

We investigate extremal charged black hole solutions in the four-dimensional string frame Gauss-Bonnet gravity with the Maxwell field and the dilaton. Without curvature corrections, the extremal electrically charged dilatonic black holes have singular horizon and zero Bekenstein entropy. When the Gauss-Bonnet term is switched on, the horizon radius expands to a finite value provided curvature corrections are strong enough. Below a certain threshold value of the Gauss-Bonnet coupling the extremal black hole solutions cease to exist. Since decreasing Gauss-Bonnet coupling corresponds to decreasing string coupling g _s , the situation can tentatively be interpreted as classical indication on the black hole—string transition. Previously the extremal dilaton black holes were studied in the Einstein-frame version of the Gauss-Bonnet gravity. Here we work in the string frame version of the theory with the S-duality symmetric dilaton function as required by the heterotic string theory. The article is published in the original.     

On the algebraic structure ofN=2 string theory

InN=2 string theory the chiral algebra expresses the generations and anti-generations of the theory and the Yukawa couplings among them and is thus crucial to the phenomenological properties of the theory. Also the connection with complex geometry is largely through the algebras. These algebras are systematically investigated in this paper. A solution for the algebras is found in the context of rational conformal field theory based on Lie algebras. A statistical mechanics interpretation for the chiral algebra is given for a large family of theories and is used to derive a rich structure of equivalences among the theories (dihedralities). The Poincaré polynomials are shown to obey a resolution series which cast these in a form which is a sum of complete intersection Poincaré polynomials. It is suggested that the resolution series is the proper tool for studying allN=2 string theories and, in particular, exposing their geometrical nature.     

Homotopy Classification of Bosonic String Field Theory

We prove the decomposition theorem for the loop homotopy Lie algebra of quantum closed string field theory and use it to show that closed string field theory is unique up to gauge transformations on a given string background and given S-matrix. For the theory of open and closed strings we use results in open-closed homotopy algebra to show that the space of inequivalent open string field theories is isomorphic to the space of classical closed string backgrounds. As a further application of the open-closed homotopy algebra, we show that string field theory is background independent and locally unique in a very precise sense. Finally, we discuss topological string theory in the framework of homotopy algebras and find a generalized correspondence between closed strings and open string field theories.     

Homotopy algebra morphism and geometry of classical string field theories

We discuss general properties of classical string field theories with symmetric vertices in the context of deformation theory. For a given conformal background, there are many string field theories corresponding to different decomposition of moduli space of Riemann surfaces. It is shown that any classical open string field theories on a fixed conformal background are A_∞-quasi-isomorphic to each other. This indicates that they have isomorphic moduli space of classical solutions. The minimal model theorem in A_∞-algebras plays a key role in these results. Its natural and geometric realization on formal supermanifolds is also given. The same results hold for classical closed string field theories, whose algebraic structures are governed by L_∞-algebras.     

Casimir–Polder potential for a metallic cylinder in cosmic string spacetime

Casimir–Polder potential is investigated for a polarizable microparticle in the geometry of a straight cosmic string with a metallic cylindrical shell. The electromagnetic field Green tensor is evaluated on the imaginary frequency axis. The expressions for the Casimir–Polder potential is derived in the general case of anisotropic polarizability for the both interior and exterior regions of the shell. The potential is decomposed into pure string and shell-induced parts. The latter dominates for points near the shell, whereas the pure string part is dominant near the string and at large distances from the shell. For the isotropic case and in the region inside the shell the both pure string and shell-induced parts in the Casimir–Polder force are repulsive with respect to the string. In the exterior region the shell-induced part of the force is directed toward the cylinder whereas the pure string part remains repulsive with respect to the string. At large distances from the shell the total force is repulsive.     

M-theory: Strings,duality and branes

String theory is an attempt to combine all of the known physical forces into a single unified framework. A powerful new type of duality symmetry has recently been discovered in string theory which has led to important breakthroughs. What were previously considered to be five distinct string theories are now known to be different aspects of an underlying structure called M-theory. In addition to strings, extended objects of higher dimension or 'branes', play a key role. We review these developments and discuss the impact that they are having on quantum field theory and the quantum properties of black holes.     

Massive String Cloud Cosmologies in Saez-Ballester Theory of Gravitation

String cloud cosmological models are studied using spatially homogeneous and anisotropic Bianchi type VI₀ metric in Saez-Ballester Scalar-Tensor theory of gravitation. The field equations are solved for massive string cloud with particles attached to them. A more general linear equation of state of the cosmic string tension density with the proper energy density of the universe is considered instead of taking any particular relationships like pure geometric string or the case of the p-string. The pure geometric string and p-string solutions can be easily inferred from the models. For all viable models the possible limiting values of the linear connection between the proper energy density and string tension density have been calculated. The physical and kinematical properties of the models have been discussed in detail.     

Scattering amplitudes in open superstring theory

This review is concerned with scattering amplitudes in open superstring theories. In particular, we introduce two different formalisms to compute tree level amplitudes – the Ramond Neveu Schwarz‐ (RNS‐) and the Pure Spinor (PS‐) formalism. The RNS approach proves to be flexible in describing compactifications from ten to four flat spacetime dimensions. We solve the technical problems due to the underlying interacting conformal field theory on the worldsheet. This is exploited to extract phenomenologically relevant scattering amplitudes of gluons and quarks as well as production‐ and decay rates of massive vibration modes which have already been identified as virtual exchange particles at the massless level. In case of a TeV string scale, string specific signatures in parton collisions might be observed at the LHC experiment in the near future and constitute the first experimental evidence for string theory. These statements apply to a wide class of string vacua and therefore bypass the so‐called landscape problem of string theory. The PS formalism allows for a manifestly supersymmetric treatment of scattering amplitudes in ten spacetime dimensions with sixteen supercharges. We introduce a family of superfields which arises in tree amplitudes of massless open string states and can be naturally identified with diagrams made of cubic vertices. We firstly achieve a compact superspace representation of multiparticle field theory amplitudes and moreover express the complete n point superstring amplitude as a minimal linear combination of partial field theory amplitudes and hypergeometric functions. The latter carry the stringy effects and are analyzed from different perspectives.     

Gravitational waves as string vacua II

Classical propagation of (super)strings through gravitational shock waves is analyzed. The exact classical solutions are used for quantization and for the identification of the exact quantumS-matrix describing string scattering by the wave. ThisS-matrix coincides with theS-matrix of the string-string scattering in theflat space-time for particular profile of the shock wave! This is interpreted as the generation of curved geometry from the flat space-time string theory. The quantum consistence of (super)string motion in gravitational plane wave backgrounds is then studied. It turns out that for the standard dimensionsD=26 (D=10) the vanishing of the Ricci tensor for the plane wave is sufficient condition for vanishing of the Weyl (superWeyl) anomaly. Thus, plane wave solutions of the Einstein equations are automatically the classical (super)string vacua. For particular plane waves the anomaly can be evaluated even nonperturbatively.This is the second part of the review based on the PhD thesis of the author defended in 1989 at SISSA, Trieste.     

Gravitation,torsion, and string theory

The low energy effective Lagrangian of string theory presents us with not only gravity, but the dilaton and the antisymmetric field as well. It is shown that a Brans-Dicke generalization of a metric theory of gravity with torsion that is derived as the exterior derivative of a potential is equivalent to the low energy string theory Lagrangian. This gives all of the fields a physical interpretation in four dimensions and provides an indication that the dilaton representssmall corrections to general relativity at large distances.     

Macroscopic strings as heavy quarks: Large-N gauge theory and anti-de Sitter supergravity

We study some aspects of Maldacena's large-N correspondence between superconformal gauge theory on the D3-brane and maximal supergravity on AdS by introducing macroscopic strings as heavy (anti-) quark probes. The macroscopic strings are semi-infinite Type IIB strings ending on a D3-brane world-volume. We first study deformation and fluctuation of D3-branes when a macroscopic BPS string is attached. We find that both dynamics and boundary conditions agree with those for the macroscopic string in anti-de Sitter supergravity. As a by-product we clarify how Polchinski's Dirichlet and Neumann open string boundary conditions arise dynamically. We then study the non-BPS macroscopic string–anti-string pair configuration as a physical realization of a heavy quark Wilson loop. We obtain the static potential from the supergravity side and find that the potential exhibits non-analyticity of the square-root branch cut in the 't Hooft coupling parameter. We put forward non-analyticity as a prediction for large-N gauge theory in the strong 't Hooft coupling limit. By turning on the Ramond–Ramond zero-form potential, we also study the vacuum angle dependence of the static potential. We finally discuss the possible dynamical realization of the heavy N-prong string junction and of the large-N loop equation via a local electric field and string recoil thereof. Throughout comparisons of the AdS–CFT correspondence, we find that a crucial role is played by “geometric duality” between the UV and IR scales in directions perpendicular to the D3-brane and parallel ones, explaining how the AdS spacetime geometry emerges out of four-dimensional gauge theory at strong coupling. Received: 21 September 2001 / Published online: 12 November 2001     

M‐theory and gauged supergravities

We present a pedagogical discussion of the emergence of gauged supergravities from M‐theory. First, a review of maximal supergravity and its global symmetries and supersymmetric solutions is given. Next, different procedures of dimensional reduction are explained: reductions over a torus, a group manifold and a coset manifold and reductions with a twist. Emphasis is placed on the consistency of the truncations, the resulting gaugings and the possibility to generate field equations without an action. Using these techniques, we construct a number of gauged maximal supergravities in diverse dimensions with a string or M‐theory origin. One class consists of the CSO gaugings, which comprise the analytic continuations and group contractions of SO(n) gaugings. We construct the corresponding half‐supersymmetric domain walls and discuss their uplift to D‐ and M‐brane distributions. Furthermore, a number of gauged maximal supergravities are constructed that do not have an action.     

What is the magnetic Weak Gravity Conjecture for axions?

The electric Weak Gravity Conjecture demands that axions with large decay constant f couple to light instantons. The resulting large instantonic corrections pose problems for natural inflation. We explore an alternative argument based on the magnetic Weak Gravity Conjecture for axions, which we try to make more precise. Roughly speaking, it demands that the minimally charged string coupled to the dual 2‐form‐field exists in the effective theory. Most naively, such large‐f strings curve space too much to exist as static solutions, thus ruling out large‐f axions. More conservatively, one might allow non‐static string solutions to play the role of the required charged objects. In this case, topological inflation would save the superplanckian axion. Furthermore, a large‐f axion may appear in the low‐energy effective theory based on two subplanckian axions in the UV. The resulting effective string is a composite object built from several elementary strings and domain walls. It may or may not satisfy the magnetic Weak Gravity Conjecture depending on how strictly the latter is interpreted and on the cosmological dynamics of this composite object, which remain to be fully understood. Finally, we recall that large‐field brane inflation is naively possible in the codimension‐one case. We show how string‐theoretic back‐reaction closes this apparent loophole of large‐f (non‐periodic) pseudo‐axions.     

Open-closed string duality at tree level

We study the decay of unstable D-branes in string theory in the presence of an electric field, and show that the classical open string theory results for various properties of the final state agree with the properties of closed string states into which the system is expected to decay. This suggests a duality between tree level open string theory on unstable D-branes and closed strings at high density.     

The Effective Theory of Strings

We show that the Nambu–Goto string, and its higher dimensional generalizations, can be quantized, in the sense of an effective theory, in any dimension of the target space. The crucial point is to consider expansions around classical string configurations. We are using tools from perturbative algebraic quantum field theory, quantum field theory on curved spacetimes, and the Batalin–Vilkovisky formalism. Our model has some similarities with the Lüscher–Weisz string, but we allow for arbitrary classical background string configurations and keep the diffeomorphism invariance.     

Non-abelian T-duality,Ramond fields and coset geometries

We extend the recently constructed double field theory formulation of the low-energy theory of the closed bosonic string to the heterotic string. The action can be written in terms of a generalized metric that is a covariant tensor under O(D, D + n), where n denotes the number of gauge vectors, and n additional coordinates are introduced together with a covariant constraint that locally removes these new coordinates. For the abelian subsector, the action takes the same structural form as for the bosonic string, but based on the enlarged generalized metric, thereby featuring a global O(D, D + n) symmetry. After turning on non-abelian gauge couplings, this global symmetry is broken, but the action can still be written in a fully O(D, D + n) covariant fashion, in analogy to similar constructions in gauged supergravities.