An overview of progress in string theory

There has been many interesting developments in string theory in last couple of years. The purpose of this article is to present a brief account of the progress made in string theory. The two invited talks by S R Das and S Mukhi in this volume contain more detailed accounts of our understanding of black hole physics and the intimate connections between string theory and gauge theories.     

Realistic four-generation MSSM in Type II string theory

We construct a four-generation MSSM with rank-4 Yukawa matrices from intersecting D6 branes on a T⁶/(Z₂×Z₂)$T^6/({\mathbb{Z}}_2\times {\mathbb{Z}}_2)$ orientifold. The Yukawa matrices obtained provide an example of Flavor Democracy (FD), where the Yukawa couplings are all nearly equal. Mass hierarchies may then be generated by slight perturbations away from FD. We find that it is possible to obtain hierarchical masses for the quarks and leptons of each generation and mixings between them. In addition, the tree-level gauge couplings are unified at the string scale. Finally, we also construct similar models with one, two, and three generations in which the rank of the Yukawa matrices is equal to the number of generations in each model.     

Loop variables and gauge invariant exact renormalization group equations for (open) string theory II

In arXiv:1202.4298 gauge invariant interacting equations were written down for the spin 2 and spin 3 massive modes using the exact renormalization group of a world sheet theory. This is generalized to all the higher levels in this paper. An interacting theory of an infinite tower of massive higher spins is obtained. They appear as a compactification of a massless theory in one higher dimension. The compactification and consequent mass is essential for writing the interaction terms. Just as for spin 2 and spin 3, the interactions are in terms of gauge invariant “field strengths” and the gauge transformations are the same as for the free theory. This theory can then be truncated in a gauge invariant way by removing one oscillator of the extra dimension to match the field content of BRST string (field) theory. The truncation has to be done level by level and results are given explicitly for level 4. At least up to level 5, the truncation can be done in a way that preserves the higher-dimensional structure. There is a relatively straightforward generalization of this construction to (arbitrary) curved space–time and this is also outlined.     

Four-dimensional N = 2 superstring constructions and their (non-) perturbative duality connections

We investigate the connections between four-dimensional, N = 2 M-theory vacua constructed as orbifolds of type II, heterotic, and type I strings. All these models have the same massless spectrum, which contains an equal number of vector multiplets and hypermultiplets, with a gauge group of the maximal rank allowed in a perturbative heterotic string construction. We find evidence for duality between two type I compactifications recently proposed and a new heterotic construction that we present here. This duality allows us to gain insight into the non-perturbative properties of these models. In particular we consider gravitational corrections to the effective action.     

Tachyon dynamics in string theory

We summarize the recent developments in the study of time dependent solutions describing the rolling of a tachyon on a non-BPS D-brane system.     

Matching WMAP 3-year results with the cosmological Slingshot primordial spectrum

We consider a recently proposed scenario for the generation of primordial cosmological perturbations, the so called Cosmological Slingshot scenario. We first obtain a general expression for the Slingshot primordial power spectrum which extends previous results by including a blue pre-bounce residual contribution at large scales. Starting from this expression we numerically compute the CMB temperature and polarization power spectra arising from the Slingshot scenario and show that they excellently match the standard WMAP 3-year best-fit results. In particular, if the residual blue spectrum is far above the largest WMAP observed scale, the Slingshot primordial spectrum fits the data well by only fixing its amplitude and spectral index at the pivot scale k _p = 10⁻³ h Mpc⁻¹. We finally show that all possible distinctive Slingshot signatures in the CMB power spectra are confined to very low multipoles and thus very hard to detect due to large cosmic variance dominated error bars at these scales.     

Relative topological integrals and relative Cheeger–Simons differential characters

Topological integrals appear frequently in Lagrangian field theories. On manifolds without boundary, they can be treated in the framework of (absolute) (co)homology using the formalism of Cheeger–Simons differential characters. String and D-brane theory involve field theoretic models on worldvolumes with boundary. On manifolds with boundary, the proper treatment of topological integrals requires a generalization of the usual differential topological set up and leads naturally to relative (co)homology and relative Cheeger–Simons differential characters. In this paper, we present a construction of relative Cheeger–Simons differential characters which is computable in principle and which contains the ordinary Cheeger–Simons differential characters as a particular case.     

String cosmology

In this review, we discuss various cosmological issues related to our Universe from a string theoretic perspective. We analyse the pre-big bang cosmological scenario which appears naturally in this context due to the existence of scale factor duality symmetry in string theory. We then discuss some of the attractive and problematic features of this scenario. Finally, we introduce a method which is powerful enough to search for cosmological solutions in various low energy limits of string theories.     

Bianchi type IX string cosmological model in general relativity

We have investigated Bianchi type IX string cosmological models in general relativity. To get a determinate solution, we have assumed a condition ρ=λ i.e. rest energy density for a cloud of strings is equal to the string tension density. The various physical and geometrical aspects of the models are also discussed.     

“Kerrr” black hole: The lord of the string

Kerrr in the title is not a typo. The third “r” stands for regular, in the sense of pathology-free rotating black hole. We exhibit a long search-for, exact, Kerr-like, solution of the Einstein equations with novel features: (i) no curvature ring singularity; (ii) no “anti-gravity” universe with causality violating time-like closed world-lines; (iii) no “super-luminal” matter disk.     

N = 1 super quantum chromo dynamics and fractional branes

In this talk we show how to get the one-loop beta function and the chiral anomaly ofN = 1 super QCD from a stack of fractionalN D3-branes localized inside the world-volume of 2M fractionalD7-branes in the orbifoldC ³/(Z ₂ ×Z ₂). They are obtained by analyzing the classical supergravity background generated by such a brane configuration, in the spirit of the gauge/gravity correspondence.     

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.     

String theory and cosmological singularities

In general relativity space-like or null singularities are common: they imply that ‘time’ can have a beginning or end. 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. In this article, we describe some of these approaches.      

A proposal for covariant renormalizable field theory of gravity

The class of covariant gravity theories which have nice ultraviolet behavior and seem to be (super)-renormalizable is proposed. The apparent breaking of Lorentz invariance occurs due to the coupling with the effective fluid which is induced by Lagrange multiplier constrained scalar field. Spatially-flat FRW cosmology for such covariant field gravity may have accelerating solutions. Renormalizable versions of more complicated modified gravity which depends on Riemann and Ricci tensor squared may be constructed in the same way.     

Comments on ultra-high-energy photons and D-foam models

We revisit the constraints that the non-observation of ultra-high-energy photons due to the GZK cutoff can impose on models of Lorentz violation in photon propagation, following recent work by Maccione, Liberati and Sigl (2010) [arXiv:1003.5468] that carries further an earlier analysis by the present authors [J. Ellis et al., Phys. Rev. D 63 (2001) 12402, hep-th/0012216]. We argue that the GZK cutoff constraint is naturally evaded in the D-brane model of space–time foam presented recently by the present authors [J. Ellis et al., Phys. Lett. B 665 (2008) 412, arXiv:0804.3566], in which Lorentz-violating effects on photon propagation are independent of possible effects during interactions. We also note a novel absorption mechanism that could provide a GZK-like cutoff for photons in low-scale string models.     

Strings in the pp-wave background from membrane

In this Letter we study strings with quantized masses in the pp-wave background. We obtain these strings from the membrane theory. For achieving to this, one of the membrane and one of the spacetime directions will be identified and wrapped. From the action of strings in the pp-wave background, we obtain its mass-dual action. Some properties of the closed and open strings in this background will be studied.     

Yukawa's of light stringy states

Light massive string states can appear at D‐brane intersections with small angles. We compute tri‐linear Yukawa couplings of such open‐string states to massless ones and to one another. Due to ambiguities in the normalisation of the vertex operators, that involve twist fields, we proceed via factorization of appropriate scattering amplitudes. Some peculiar features are observed that may lead to interesting signatures at colliders in the future.     

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.     

Generalised space–time and duality

In this Letter we consider the previously proposed generalised space–time and investigate the structure of the field theory upon which it is based. In particular, we derive a SO(D,D)$\mathit{SO}(D,D)$ formulation of the bosonic string as a non-linear realisation at lowest levels of E₁₁s_⊗l₁$E_{11}{\otimes }_s{l}_1$ where l₁$l_1$ is the first fundamental representation. We give a Hamiltonian formulation of this theory and carry out its quantisation. We argue that the choice of representation of the quantum theory breaks the manifest SO(D,D)$\mathit{SO}(D,D)$ symmetry but that the symmetry is manifest in a non-commutative field theory. We discuss the implications for the conjectured E₁₁$E_{11}$ symmetry and the role of the l₁$l_1$ representation.