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     

From Weak to Strong Coupling in ABJM Theory

The partition function of N=6{\mathcal{N}=6} supersymmetric Chern–Simons-matter theory (known as ABJM theory) on \mathbbS³{\mathbb{S}^3} , as well as certain Wilson loop observables, are captured by a zero dimensional super-matrix model. This super–matrix model is closely related to a matrix model describing topological Chern–Simons theory on a lens space. We explore further these recent observations and extract more exact results in ABJM theory from the matrix model. In particular we calculate the planar free energy, which matches at strong coupling the classical IIA supergravity action on AdS₄×\mathbbC\mathbbP³{{\rm AdS}_4\times\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^3} and gives the correct N ^3/2 scaling for the number of degrees of freedom of the M2 brane theory. Furthermore we find contributions coming from world-sheet instanton corrections in \mathbbC\mathbbP³{\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^3} . We also calculate non-planar corrections, both to the free energy and to the Wilson loop expectation values. This matrix model appears also in the study of topological strings on a toric Calabi–Yau manifold, and an intriguing connection arises between the space of couplings of the planar ABJM theory and the moduli space of this Calabi–Yau. In particular it suggests that, in addition to the usual perturbative and strong coupling (AdS) expansions, a third natural expansion locus is the line where one of the two ’t Hooft couplings vanishes and the other is finite. This is the conifold locus of the Calabi–Yau, and leads to an expansion around topological Chern–Simons theory. We present some explicit results for the partition function and Wilson loop observables around this locus.     

An invitation to higher gauge theory

In this easy introduction to higher gauge theory, we describe parallel transport for particles and strings in terms of 2-connections on 2-bundles. Just as ordinary gauge theory involves a gauge group, this generalization involves a gauge ‘2-group’. We focus on 6 examples. First, every abelian Lie group gives a Lie 2-group; the case of U(1) yields the theory of U(1) gerbes, which play an important role in string theory and multisymplectic geometry. Second, every group representation gives a Lie 2-group; the representation of the Lorentz group on 4d Minkowski spacetime gives the Poincaré 2-group, which leads to a spin foam model for Minkowski spacetime. Third, taking the adjoint representation of any Lie group on its own Lie algebra gives a ‘tangent 2-group’, which serves as a gauge 2-group in 4d BF theory, which has topological gravity as a special case. Fourth, every Lie group has an ‘inner automorphism 2-group’, which serves as the gauge group in 4d BF theory with cosmological constant term. Fifth, every Lie group has an ‘automorphism 2-group’, which plays an important role in the theory of nonabelian gerbes. And sixth, every compact simple Lie group gives a ‘string 2-group’. We also touch upon higher structures such as the ‘gravity 3-group’, and the Lie 3-superalgebra that governs 11-dimensional supergravity.     

All Loop Topological String Amplitudes from Chern-Simons Theory

We demonstrate the equivalence of all loop closed topological string amplitudes on toric local Calabi-Yau threefolds with computations of certain knot invariants for Chern-Simons theory. We use this equivalence to compute the topological string amplitudes in certain cases to very high degree and to all genera. In particular we explicitly compute the topological string amplitudes for ² up to degree 12 and ¹× ¹ up to total degree 10 to all genera. This also leads to certain novel large N dualities in the context of ordinary superstrings, involving duals of type II superstrings on local Calabi-Yau three-folds without any fluxes.This research is supported in part by NSF grants PHY-9802709 and DMS-0074329     

Polynomial Invariants for Torus Knots¶and Topological Strings

We make a precision test of a recently proposed conjecture relating Chern–Simons gauge theory to topological string theory on the resolution of the conifold. First, we develop a systematic procedure to extract string amplitudes from vacuum expectation values (vevs) of Wilson loops in Chern–Simons gauge theory, and then we evaluate these vevs in arbitrary irreducible representations of SU(N) for torus knots. We find complete agreement with the predictions derived from the target space interpretation of the string amplitudes. We also show that the structure of the free energy of topological open string theory gives further constraints on the Chern–Simons vevs. Our work provides strong evidence towards an interpretation of knot polynomial invariants as generating functions associated to enumerative problems. Received: 1 May 2000 / Accepted: 6 November 2000     

The Effect of Spatial Curvature in Scalar-Tensor Theory

We investigate the effect of the spatial curvature in extra six dimensions of ten dimensional scalar-tensor theory. As a scalar-tensor theory both string theory effective action and Brans-Dicke type action are considered. For Brans-Dicke type action with positive spatial curvature (k=1) we obtain accelerating expansion of the spacetime for specific value of the Brans-Dicke parameter ω. The value, however, is negative and far from the present universe which requires big number.     

Black hole/string transition for the small Schwarzschild black hole of AdS 5 × S5 and critical unitary matrix models

In this paper we discuss the black hole–string transition of the small Schwarzschild black hole of AdS ₅×S⁵ using the AdS/CFT correspondence at finite temperature. The finite temperature gauge theory effective action, at weak and strong coupling, can be expressed entirely in terms of constant Polyakov lines which are SU(N) matrices. In showing this we have taken into account that there are no Nambu–Goldstone modes associated with the fact that the 10-dimensional black hole solution sits at a point in S⁵. We show that the phase of the gauge theory in which the eigenvalue spectrum has a gap corresponds to supergravity saddle points in the bulk theory. We identify the third order N=∞ phase transition with the black hole–string transition. This singularity can be resolved using a double scaling limit in the transition region where the large N expansion is organized in terms of powers of N^-2/3. The N=∞ transition now becomes a smooth crossover in terms of a renormalized string coupling constant, reflecting the physics of large but finite N. Multiply wound Polyakov lines condense in the crossover region. We also discuss the implications of our results for the resolution of the singularity of the lorenztian section of the small Schwarzschild black hole.     

Effective Action and Phase Transitions in Yang-Mills Theory on Spheres

We study the covariantly constant Savvidy-type chromomagnetic vacuum in finite-temperature Yang-Mills theory on the four-dimensional curved spacetime. Motivated by the fact that a positive spatial curvature acts as an effective gluon mass we consider the compact Euclidean spacetime S ¹ × S ¹ × S ², with the radius of the first circle determined by the temperature a ₁ = (2π T)⁻¹. We show that covariantly constant Yang-Mills fields on S ² cannot be arbitrary but are rather a collection of monopole-antimonopole pairs. We compute the heat kernels of all relevant operators exactly and show that the gluon operator on such a background has negative modes for any compact semi-simple gauge group. We compute the infrared regularized effective action and apply the result for the computation of the entropy and the heat capacity of the quark-gluon gas. We compute the heat capacity for the gauge group SU(2N) for a field configuration of N monopole-antimonopole pairs. We show that in the high-temperature limit the heat capacity per unit volume is well defined in the infrared limit and exhibits a typical behavior of second-order phase transition ~ (T-T_c)^-3/2{\sim(T-T_c)^{-3/2}} with the critical temperature T _c  = (2π a)⁻¹, where a is the radius of the 2-sphere S ².     

Extended Holomorphic Anomaly in Gauge Theory

The partition function of an N=2{\mathcal {N}=2} gauge theory in the Ω-background satisfies, for generic value of the parameter b = -e₁/e₂{\beta=-{\epsilon_1}/{\epsilon_2}} , the, in general extended, but otherwise β-independent, holomorphic anomaly equation of special geometry. Modularity together with the (β-dependent) gap structure at the various singular loci in the moduli space completely fixes the holomorphic ambiguity, also when the extension is non-trivial. In some cases, the theory at the orbifold radius, corresponding to β = 2, can be identified with an “orientifold” of the theory at β = 1. The various connections give hints for embedding the structure into the topological string.     

Topological Strings and (Almost) Modular Forms

The B-model topological string theory on a Calabi-Yau threefold X has a symmetry group Γ, generated by monodromies of the periods of X. This acts on the topological string wave function in a natural way, governed by the quantum mechanics of the phase space H ³(X). We show that, depending on the choice of polarization, the genus g topological string amplitude is either a holomorphic quasi-modular form or an almost holomorphic modular form of weight 0 under Γ. Moreover, at each genus, certain combinations of genus g amplitudes are both modular and holomorphic. We illustrate this for the local Calabi-Yau manifolds giving rise to Seiberg-Witten gauge theories in four dimensions and local IP ₂ and IP ₁ × IP ₁. As a byproduct, we also obtain a simple way of relating the topological string amplitudes near different points in the moduli space, which we use to give predictions for Gromov-Witten invariants of the orbifold .     

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     

Superstring on pp-wave orbifold from large-N quiver gauge theory

We extend the proposal of Berenstein, Maldacena and Nastase to the Type IIB superstring propagating on a pp-wave over the R ⁴/Z _k orbifold. We show that first-quantized free string theory is described correctly by the large-N, fixed gauge coupling limit of [U(N)] ^k quiver gauge theory. We propose a precise map between gauge theory operators and string states for both untwisted and twisted sectors. We also compute leading-order perturbative correction to the anomalous dimensions of these operators. The result is in agreement with the value deduced from the string energy spectrum, thus substantiating our proposed operator-state map. Received: 14 March 2002 / Published online: 5 July 2002     

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.     

Electrodynamics on matrix space: non-Abelian by coordinates

Faddeev and Niemi have proposed a decomposition of SU(N) Yang–Mills theory in terms of new variables, appropriate for describing the theory in the infrared limit. We extend this method to SO(2N) Yang–Mills theory. We find that the SO(2N) connection decomposes according to irreducible representations of SO(N). The low-energy limit of the decomposed theory is expected to describe soliton-like configurations with nontrivial topological numbers. How the method of decomposition generalizes for SO(2N+1) Yang–Mills theory is also discussed. Received: 22 November 2000 / Published online: 8 June 2001     

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.     

Operators with Large R-Charge in N=4 Yang-Mills Theory

It has been recently proposed that string theory in the background of a plane wave corresponds to a certain subsector of the N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. This correspondence follows as a limit of the AdS/CFT duality. As a particular case of the AdS/CFT correspondence, it is a priori a strong-weak coupling duality. However, the predictions for the anomalous dimensions which follow from this particular limit are analytic functions of the 't Hooft coupling constant λ and have a well-defined expansion in the weak coupling regime. This allows one to conjecture that the correspondence between the strings on the plane wave background and the Yang-Mills theory works at the level of perturbative expansions. In our paper we perform perturbative computations in the Yang-Mills theory that confirm this conjecture. We calculate the anomalous dimension of the operator corresponding to the elementary string excitation. We verify at the two-loop level that the anomalous dimension has a finite limit when the R-charge J→∞ keeps λ/J² finite. We conjecture that this is true at higher orders of perturbation theory. We show, by summing an infinite subset of Feynman diagrams, under the above assumption, that the anomalous dimensions arising from the Yang-Mills perturbation theory are in agreement with the anomalous dimensions following from the string worldsheet sigma-model.     

Gauge coupling and fermion mass relations in low string scale brane models

We analyze the gauge coupling evolution in brane inspired models with U(3) x U(2) x U(1)^N symmetry at the string scale. We restrict our work to the case of brane configurations with two and three abelian factors (N = 2,3) and where only one Higgs doublet is coupled to down quarks and leptons and only one to the up quarks. We find that the correct hypercharge assignment of the standard model particles is reproduced for six viable models distinguished by different brane configurations. We investigate the third generation fermion mass relations and find that the correct low energy m_b/m_τ ratio can be obtained for b-τ Yukawa coupling equality at a string scale as low as M_S~10³ TeV. Received: 30 August 2005, Published online: 16 November 2005 PACS: 11.25.Wx, 11.25.Uv, 12.10.Kt     

Noncommutative electromagnetism as a large <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis> gauge theory

We map noncommutative (NC) U(1) gauge theory on ℝ _C ^d ×ℝ _NC ²ⁿ to U(N→∞) Yang–Mills theory on ℝ _C ^d , where ℝ _C ^d is a d-dimensional commutative spacetime while ℝ _NC ²ⁿ is a 2n-dimensional NC space. The resulting U(N) Yang–Mills theory on ℝ _C ^d is equivalent to that obtained by the dimensional reduction of (d+2n)-dimensional U(N) Yang–Mills theory onto ℝ _C ^d . We show that the gauge-Higgs system (A _μ ,Φ ^a ) in the U(N→∞) Yang–Mills theory on ℝ _C ^d leads to an emergent geometry in the (d+2n)-dimensional spacetime whose metric was determined by Ward a long time ago. In particular, the 10-dimensional gravity for d=4 and n=3 corresponds to the emergent geometry arising from the 4-dimensional N=4{\mathcal{N}}=4 vector multiplet in the AdS/CFT duality. We further elucidate the emergent gravity by showing that the gauge-Higgs system (A _μ ,Φ ^a ) in half-BPS configurations describes self-dual Einstein gravity.     

M‐strings,elliptic genera and N = 4 string amplitudes

We study mass‐deformed N = 2 gauge theories from various points of view. Their partition functions can be computed via three dual approaches: firstly, (p,q)‐brane webs in type II string theory using Nekrasov's instanton calculus, secondly, the (refined) topological string using the topological vertex formalism and thirdly, M theory via the elliptic genus of certain M‐strings configurations. We argue for a large class of theories that these approaches yield the same gauge theory partition function which we study in detail. To make their modular properties more tangible, we consider a fourth approach by connecting the partition function to the equivariant elliptic genus of ℂ² through a (singular) theta‐transform. This form appears naturally as a specific class of one‐loop scattering amplitudes in type II string theory on T², which we calculate explicitly.     

Topological Geometrodynamics

The identification of spacetime as a 4-surface in the space H =M⁴×CP₂ (product of Minkowski space and complex projective space of complex dimension two) as means of obtaining Poincare invariant theory of gravitation was the triggering idea of topological geometrodynamics (TGD), which can be regarded as an attempt to unify basic interactions in terms of submanifold geometry instead of abstract manifold geometry as in case of General Relativity. One can however regard TGD also as a generalization of string model: instead of strings free particles are regarded as 3-surfaces. In this article I want to describe these two approaches and to show how they merge into a single coherent scheme provided macroscopic 3-space with matter is identified as a 3-surface containing particles as topological inhomogenities. Also the quantization program of TGD based on the idea that interacting field theory can be regarded as a classical, free field theory for Grassmann algebra valued Schrödinger amplitude in the space of all possible 3-surfaces of H, is described.