Conformal geometry and string field theory

The covariant perturbation theory rules that should arise from any gauge invariant string field theory, such as those proposed on the basis of BRST formalism, are set forth. The resulting path integral expressions naturally produce coordinate invariant densities on the moduli space of Riemann surfaces; these include the Koba-Nielsen amplitudes. The connection between string field theory and modular invariance is discussed, and it is proposed that future explorations in string field theory focus on coordinate invariant quantities on moduli space.     

Monopoles and topological field theory

We present a topological quantum field theory for magnetic monopoles in an SU(N) Yang-Mills-Higgs model. This field theory is obtained by gauge fixing the topological action defining the monopole charge. This work extends to the three-dimensional case the quantization of invariant polynomials in four dimensions. We choose the Bogomolny self-duality equations as gauge conditions for the magnetic monopole topological field theory. In this way the geometrical equation discussed e.g. in Atiyah and Hitchin's work are recovered as ghost equations of motion. We give the cocycles of the corresponding topological symmetry. In the N→∞ limit interesting phenomena occur. The functional integration is forced to cover only the moduli space and the role of the ghosts stemming from the gauge fixing process is to provide a smooth semiclassical approximation.     

Factorization of bosonic string amplitudes

We consider the bosonic string path integral over degenerating Riemann surfaces. We first review the factorization of conformal field theory on a degenerating surface. A careful treatment of the degeneration of the measure for moduli leads to a modification of the usual ghost insertions so as to assure covariance under a change of conformal frame. More generally, amplitudes with BRST invariant but conformally non-invariant operators are well defined with the covariant ghost insertions. As a detailed application we study the string modifications to the background field equations. We find to first order in the tadpole and all orders in string coupling that the ratio of the graviton source, dilaton source, and zero-point amplitude agrees with that found from general covariance and the soft-dilaton theorem in the low-energy field theory. We also discuss the unitarity of the bosonic string theory,     

D-branes on non-abelian threefold quotient singularities

We investigate the classical moduli space of D-branes on a non-abelian Calabi-Yau threefold singularity and find that it admits topology-changing transitions. We construct a general formalism of world-volume field theories in the language of quivers and give a procedure for computing the enlarged Kähler cone of the moduli space. The topology changing transitions achieved by varying the Fayet-Iliopoulos parameters correspond to changes of linearization of a geometric invariant theory quotient and can be studied by methods of algebraic geometry. Quite surprisingly, the structure of the enlarged Kahler cone can be computed by toric methods. By using this approach, we give a detailed discussion of two low-rank examples.     

Building string field theory around non-conformal backgrounds

The main limitations of string field theory arise because its present formulation requires a background representing a classical solution, a background defined by a strictly conformally invariant theory. Here we sketch a construction for a gauge-invariant string field action around non-conformal backgrounds. The construction makes no reference to any conformal theory. Its two-dimensional field-theoretic aspect is based on a generalized BRST operator satisfying a set of Weyl descent equations. Its geometric aspect uses a complex of moduli spaces of two-dimensional Riemannian manifolds having ordinary punctures, and organized by the number of special punctures which goes from zero to infinity. In this complex there is a Batalin-Vilkovisky algebra that includes naturally the operator which adds one special puncture. We obtain a classical field equation that appears to relax the condition of conformal invariance usually taken to define classical string backgrounds.     

Beta functions and S-matrix in string theory

The relationship between sigma model β-functions and string theory scattering amplitudes is proved. We derive our results for the closed bosonic string using the weak field expansion around the flat space. The equations of motion for all the background fields, including the heavy fields are considered. We show that the effective equations for the light fields are obtained by integrating out the heavy fields. It is shown that the contributions to the β-functions come from the boundary of moduli space on a punctured Riemann surface. String loop corrections to the equations of motion are also studied.     

Interpretation of Einstein's theory of gravitation including the cosmological term as a de Sitter-invariant field theory on the de Sitter space

In order to remove the singular nature of Einstein's theory of gravitation including theΛ term, within the domain of field theories, it is shown that this theory can be consistently interpreted as a field theory on the fixed de Sitter space, invariant with respect to the de Sitter groupO(4,1). The corresponding field equations as well as the equations of motion are derived, their structural properties are discussed, and they are integrated for a spherical mass source of the field.     

String theory and algebraic geometry of moduli spaces

It is shown how the algebraic geometry of the moduli space of Riemann surfaces entirely determines the partition function of Polyakov's string theory. This is done by using elements of Arakelov's intersection theory applied to determinants of families of differential operators parametrized by moduli space. As a result we write the partition function in terms of exponentials of Arakelov's Green functions and Faltings' invariant on Riemann surfaces. Generalizing to arithmetic surfaces, i.e. surfaces which are associated to an algebraic number fieldK, we establish a connection between string theory and the infinite primes ofK. As a result we conjecture that the usual partition function is a special case of a new partition function on the moduli space defined overK.     

Unified Field Theory from Enlarged Transformation Group. The Consistent Hamiltonian

A theory has been presented previously in which the geometrical structure of a real four-dimensional space time manifold is expressed by a real orthonormal tetrad, and the group of diffeomorphisms is replaced by a larger group. The group enlargement was accomplished by including those transformations to anholonomic coordinates under which conservation laws are covariant statements. Field equations have been obtained from a variational principle which is invariant under the larger group. These field equations imply the validity of the Einstein equations of general relativity with a stress-energy tensor that is just what one expects for the electroweak field and associated currents. In this paper, as a first step toward quantization, a consistent Hamiltonian for the theory is obtained. Some concluding remarks are given concerning the need for further development of the theory. These remarks include discussion of a possible method for extending the theory to include the strong interaction.     

Conformally invariant differential operators on Minkowski space and their curved analogues

This article describes the construction of a natural family of conformally invariant differential operators on a four-dimensional (pseudo-)Riemannian manifold. Included in this family are the usual massless field equations for arbitrary helicity but there are many more besides. The article begins by classifying the invariant operators on flat space. This is a fairly straightforward task in representation theory best solved through the theory of Verma modules. The method generates conformally invariant operators in the curved case by means of Penrose's local twistor transport.S.E.R.C. Advanced Fellow and Flinders University Visiting Research Fellow     

The backreaction for conformally invariant fields on a conformally flat background

We study conformally invariant fields within the context of semi-classical gravity. We claim that, generically, conformal flatness implies Friedmann-Robertson-Walker behaviour. A proof is presented here for the case in which the Ricci tensor is of the perfect fluid type. We also rewrite the field equations as a quadratic three dimensional autonomous system of ordinary differential equations, the critical points of which are Minkowski space and de Sitter space. Both these critical points are unstable in the linear as well as in the non-linear theory.This essay received an honorable mention from the Gravity Research Foundation, 1990 —Ed.     

Reissner--Nordström-de--Sitter-type Solution by a Gauge Theory of Gravity

We use the theory based on a gravitational gauge group （Wu＇s model） to obtain a spherical symmetric solution of the field equations for the gravitational potential on a Minkowski spacetime. The gauge group, the gauge covariant derivative, the strength tensor of the gauge feld, the gauge invariant Lagrangean with the cosmological constant, the field equations of the gauge potentiaIs with a gravitational energy-momentum tensor as well as with a tensor of the field of a point like source are determined. Finally, a Reissner-Nordstrom-de Sitter-type metric on the gauge group space is obtained.     

Cartan–Weyl Dirac and Laplacian Operators,Brownian Motions: The Quantum Potential and Scalar Curvature,Maxwell’s and Dirac-Hestenes Equations,and Supersymmetric Systems

We present the Dirac and Laplacian operators on Clifford bundles over space–time, associated to metric compatible linear connections of Cartan–Weyl, with trace-torsion, Q. In the case of nondegenerate metrics, we obtain a theory of generalized Brownian motions whose drift is the metric conjugate of Q. We give the constitutive equations for Q. We find that it contains Maxwell’s equations, characterized by two potentials, an harmonic one which has a zero field (Bohm-Aharonov potential) and a coexact term that generalizes the Hertz potential of Maxwell’s equations in Minkowski space.We develop the theory of the Hertz potential for a general Riemannian manifold. We study the invariant state for the theory, and determine the decomposition of Q in this state which has an invariant Born measure. In addition to the logarithmic potential derivative term, we have the previous Maxwellian potentials normalized by the invariant density. We characterize the time-evolution irreversibility of the Brownian motions generated by the Cartan–Weyl laplacians, in terms of these normalized Maxwell’s potentials. We prove the equivalence of the sourceless Maxwell equation on Minkowski space, and the Dirac-Hestenes equation for a Dirac-Hestenes spinor field written on Minkowski space provided with a Cartan–Weyl connection. If Q is characterized by the invariant state of the diffusion process generated on Euclidean space, then the Maxwell’s potentials appearing in Q can be seen alternatively as derived from the internal rotational degrees of freedom of the Dirac-Hestenes spinor field, yet the equivalence between Maxwell’s equation and Dirac-Hestenes equations is valid if we have that these potentials have only two components corresponding to the spin-plane. We present Lorentz-invariant diffusion representations for the Cartan–Weyl connections that sustain the equivalence of these equations, and furthermore, the diffusion of differential forms along these Brownian motions. We prove that the construction of the relativistic Brownian motion theory for the flat Minkowski metric, follows from the choices of the degenerate Clifford structure and the Oron and Horwitz relativistic Gaussian, instead of the Euclidean structure and the orthogonal invariant Gaussian. We further indicate the random Poincaré–Cartan invariants of phase-space provided with the canonical symplectic structure. We introduce the energy-form of the exact terms of Q and derive the relativistic quantum potential from the groundstate representation. We derive the field equations corresponding to these exact terms from an average on the invariant state Cartan scalar curvature, and find that the quantum potential can be identified with 1 / 12R(g), where R(g) is the metric scalar curvature. We establish a link between an anisotropic noise tensor and the genesis of a gravitational field in terms of the generalized Brownian motions. Thus, when we have a nontrivial curvature, we can identify the quantum nonlocal correlations with the gravitational field. We discuss the relations of this work with the heat kernel approach in quantum gravity. We finally present for the case of Q restricted to this exact term a supersymmetric system, in the classical sense due to E.Witten, and discuss the possible extensions to include the electromagnetic potential terms of Q     

Lie algebroids,Lie groupoids and TFT

We construct the moduli spaces associated to the solutions of equations of motion (modulo gauge transformations) of the Poisson sigma model with target being an integrable Poisson manifold. The construction can be easily extended to a case of a generic integrable Lie algebroid. Indeed for any Lie algebroid one can associate a BF-like topological field theory which localizes on the space of algebroid morphisms, that can be seen as a generalization of flat connections to the groupoid case. We discuss the finite gauge transformations and discuss the corresponding moduli spaces. We consider the theories both without and with boundaries.     

Symplectic and hyperkähler structures in a dimensional reduction of the Seiberg-Witten equations with a Higgs field

In this paper we show that the dimensionally reduced Seiberg-Witten equations lead to a Higgs field and we study the resulting moduli spaces. The moduli space arising out of a subset of the equations, shown to be non-empty for a compact Riemann surface of genus g ≥ 1, gives rise to a family of moduli spaces carrying a hyperkähler structure. For the full set of equations the corresponding moduli space does not have the aforementioned hyperkähler structure but has a natural symplectic structure. For the case of the torus, g = 1, we show that the full set of equations has a solution, different from the “vortex solutions”.     

Observations on the moduli space of superconformal field theories

Some aspects of the moduli space of superconformal field theories are discussed. It is helpful to consider the conformal field theory as a background for propagation of strings and to exploit the space-time interpretation. Using this point of view we show that the metric on the moduli space of N = 4 superconformal field theory with c = 6 is locally that of O(20,4)/O(20) × O(4). We also discover some properties of the moduli space of N = 2 superconformal field theories with c = 9. Particular examples of these conformal field theories are sigma models on four- and six-dimensional Calabi-Yau spaces. Therefore, we can use this technique to learn about the moduli space of these spaces. For c = 6 we recover the known moduli space of K₃. Our analysis of the c = 9 system leads to a new coupling in four dimensional supergravity. As a by-product, we prove that gauge couplings cannot depend on the moduli of N = 1 space-time supersymmetric compactifications.     

Diagrammatic operator formalism for string amplitudes

A diagrammatic operator method based on Fock space formulations of 3-string vertices is developed for computing the integration measure for open or closed string S-matrix to arbitrary loop order. The proposed vertex does not triangulate the moduli space, thus a single diagram incorporates a number of string field theory diagrams. However, the formalism does not naturally lead to a single cover of moduli space, and the restriction to the fundamental domain must be put in by hand, as in the Polyakov functional integral approach.     

A framework for a relativistic theory of state reduction

The problem of formulating a relativistic theory of state-vector reduction is considered. A stochastic process is associated in a subjectively invariant way with each element of the proper orthochronous Poincaré group. The procedure yields a class of invariant stochastic differential equations in Hilbert space. Various aspects of the proposed method are discussed.     

Correlations of RMT characteristic polynomials and integrability: Hermitean matrices

Integrable theory is formulated for correlation functions of characteristic polynomials associated with invariant non-Gaussian ensembles of Hermitean random matrices. By embedding the correlation functions of interest into a more general theory of τ functions, we (i) identify a zoo of hierarchical relations satisfied by τ functions in an abstract infinite-dimensional space and (ii) present a technology to translate these relations into hierarchically structured nonlinear differential equations describing the correlation functions of characteristic polynomials in the physical, spectral space. Implications of this formalism for fermionic, bosonic, and supersymmetric variations of zero-dimensional replica field theories are discussed at length. A particular emphasis is placed on the phenomenon of fermionic-bosonic factorisation of random-matrix-theory correlation functions.