Brane Cosmology From Heterotic String Theory

We consider brane cosmologies within the context of five-dimensional effective actions with higher curvature corrections. The actions are compatible with bulk string amplitude calculations from heterotic string theory. We find wrapped solutions that satisfy the field equations in an approximate but acceptable manner given their complexity, where the internal, four-dimensional, scale factor is naturally inflating, having an exponential De-Sitter form. The temporal dependence of the metric components is nontrivial so that this metric cannot be factored as in a conformally flat case. The effective Planck mass is finite and the brane solutions can localize four-dimensional gravity while the four-dimensional gravitational constant varies with time. The Hubble constant can be freely specified through the initial value of the scalar field, to conform with recent data.     

Letter: Extremal Rotating Dipole Solution in Four-Dimensional Heterotic String Theory

We develop new Lagrange formulation of thefour-dimensional low-energy heterotic string theory inthe stationary case. Using this formulation we derivethree non-extremal and one extremal two-dimensionalsubspaces invariant under the action of alldualities which preserve spatial field asymptotics. Forthe extremal subspace we construct the solution whichdescribes a massless rotating dipole source.     

Heterotic String Compactification and New Vector Bundles

We propose a construction of Kähler and non-Kähler Calabi–Yau manifolds by branched double covers of twistor spaces. In this construction we use the twistor spaces of four-manifolds with self-dual conformal structures, with the examples of connected sum of n\({\mathbb{P}^{2}}\)s. We also construct K3-fibered Calabi–Yau manifolds from the branched double covers of the blow-ups of the twistor spaces. These manifolds can be used in heterotic string compactifications to four dimensions. We also construct stable and polystable vector bundles. Some classes of these vector bundles can give rise to supersymmetric grand unified models with three generations of quarks and leptons in four dimensions.     

On Hawking Radiation from a Charged Black Hole of Heterotic String Theory

We investigate the Hawking radiation of a GMGHS charged black hole from the heterotic string scenario by the massive particles turmeling method. We consider the spacetime background to be dynamical, incorporate the self-gravitation effect of the emitted particles and show that the tunneling rate is related to the change of Bekenstein- Hawking entropy and the derived emission spectrum does not deviate from the pure thermal spectrum of Schwrzschild＇s black hole.     

Entropy Spectrum of Black Holes of Heterotic String Theory via Adiabatic Invariance

Using adiabatic invariance and the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization rule we investigate the entropy spectroscopy of two black holes of heterotic string theory,the charged GMGHS and the rotating Sen solutions.It is shown that the entropy spectrum is equally spaced in both cases,identically to the spectrum obtained before for Schwarzschild,Reissner-Nordström and Kerr black holes.Since the adiabatic invariance method does not use quasinormal mode analysis,there is no need to impose the small charge or small angular momentum limits and there is no confusion on whether the real part or the imaginary part of the modes is responsible for the entropy spectrum.     

The Quantum Consistency of the Ten-Dimensional Heterotic String Effective Action

The finiteness of superstring theory at each order in perturbation theory is considered with respect to the ten-dimensional effective action. The quantum consistency of the ten-dimensional superstring effective action is confirmed with an analysis of the perturbative expansion of the quartic sector. It is found to be compatible with the finiteness of reduced four-dimensional theory.Furthermore, implications for the validity of superstring perturbation theoryat lower energies is considered.     

Non-Kaehler Heterotic String Compactifications with Non-Zero Fluxes and Constant Dilaton

We construct new explicit compact supersymmetric valid solutions with non-zero field strength, non-flat instanton and constant dilaton to the heterotic equations of motion in dimension six. We present balanced Hermitian structures on compact nilmanifolds in dimension six satisfying the heterotic supersymmetry equations with non-zero flux, non-flat instanton and constant dilaton which obey the three-form Bianchi identity with curvature term taken with respect to either the Levi-Civita, the (+)-connection or the Chern connection. Among them, all our solutions with respect to the (+)-connection on the compact nilmanifold M ₃ satisfy the heterotic equations of motion.     

Supersymmetry in Euclidean Quantum Field Theory

Supersymmetry is formulated within a functional approach of euclidean quantum field theory. The rǒle of the euclidean Lie superalgebra and its relation to the Poincaré Lie superalgebra are investigated in detail. As example we study the Wess-Zumino model in two dimensions.     

String Theory

After reviewing the original motivation for the formulation of string theory and what we learned from it, I discuss some of the implications of the holographic principle and of string dualities for the question of the building blocks of nature.     

Theory Assessment and Final Theory Claim in String Theory

String theory has by now maintained a highly influential position in high energy physics for more than a quarter of a century. The present article analyses the reasons for the considerable trust exponents of string theory have in their theory even though it has neither found empirical confirmation nor a complete formulation up to this point. It is argued that this trust can be understood in terms of an emerging new conception of theory assessment that relies strongly on the identification of limitations to the underdetermination of scientific theory building. The second part of the paper makes the point that another conspicuous element of string theoretical reasoning, the prominent role of the notion of a final theory, can be understood in terms of this altered notion of theory assessment as well.     

Grassmannian and String Theory

The infinite-dimensional Grassmannian manifold contains moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces of all genera. This well known fact leads to a conjecture that non-perturbative string theory can be formulated in terms of the Grassmannian. We present new facts supporting this hypothesis. In particular, it is shown that Grassmannians can be considered as generalized moduli spaces; this statement permits us to define corresponding “string amplitudes” (at least formally). One can conjecture that it is possible to explain the relation between non-perturbative and perturbative string theory by means of localization theorems for equivariant cohomology; this conjecture is based on the characterization of moduli spaces, relevant to string theory, as sets consisting of points with large stabilizers in certain groups acting on the Grassmannian. We describe an involution on the Grassmannian that could be related to S-duality in string theory. Received: 19 December 1996 / Accepted: 27 March 1998     

String Theory and the Kauffman Polynomial

We propose a new, precise integrality conjecture for the colored Kauffman polynomial of knots and links inspired by large N dualities and the structure of topological string theory on orientifolds. According to this conjecture, the natural knot invariant in an unoriented theory involves both the colored Kauffman polynomial and the colored HOMFLY polynomial for composite representations, i.e. it involves the full HOMFLY skein of the annulus. The conjecture sheds new light on the relationship between the Kauffman and the HOMFLY polynomials, and it implies for example Rudolph’s theorem. We provide various non-trivial tests of the conjecture and we sketch the string theory arguments that lead to it.     

Letter: O(d + 1, d + n + 1)-Invariant Formulation of Stationary Heterotic String Theory

We present a pair of symmetric formulations of the matter sector of the stationary effective action of heterotic string theory that arises after the toroidal compactification of d dimensions. The first formulation is written in terms of a pair of matrix potentials Z ₁ and Z ₂ which exhibits a clear symmetry between them and can be used to generate new families of solutions on the basis of either Z ₁ or Z ₂; the second one is an O(d + 1, d + n + 1)-invariant formulation which is written in terms of a matrix vector W endowed with an O(d + 1, d + n + 1)-invariant scalar product which linearizes the action of the O(d + 1, d + n + 1)symmetry group on the coset space O(d + 1, d + n + 1)/[O(d + 1) × O(d + n + 1)]; this fact opens as well a simple solution-generating technique which can be applied on the basis of known solutions.     

On climbing scalars in String Theory

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|$|V^{\prime }/V|$ lies precisely at a “critical” value where the Lucchin–Matarrese attractor disappears while the scalar field is 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.     

Supersymmetry and the vacuum

It is shown that, in a supersymmetric theory, the sum of all vacuum diagrams vanishes identically as a consequence of compensations among contributions involving different fields of the supermultiplet. This means that the zero-point energy-momentum density is zero to all orders in the supersymmetric interaction. In an external gravitational field no cosmological term is induced through the vacuum polarization of the matter fields. The situation when supersymmetry is spontaneously broken, or softly broken is also discussed.