Stabilization of Moduli in String Theory I , II

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Stabilization of Moduli in String Theory I , II TowardsTowards StringString Cosmology.Cosmology. StabilizationStabilization ofof modulimoduli inin stringstring theorytheory II ,, IIII RenataRenata KalloshKallosh Stanford Fields Institute, Toronto, May 9, 10,11 2005 I. Towards String Cosmology In this pedagogical lecture some basic part of the standard cosmological model which is most relevant for the fundamental theoretical physics will be explained. The common features and differences between early universe inflation and late-time acceleration will be stressed. Some recent attempts to address the issues of cosmology in string theory and higher dimensional supergravity with the emphasis on successes and still unsolved problems will be presented. OutlineOutline ofof LectureLecture II 1. Cosmological Concordance Model and Problems of M/String Theory in Explaining the Observations. 2. Flux Compactification and Stabilization of Moduli, Metastable de Sitter Space in String Theory 3. Ghost-Free de Sitter Supergravities as Consistent Reductions of String and M-theory: collapsing universe 4. Landscape of String Theory, Statistics of Flux Vacua, CC problem 5. Inflation in String Theory, Cosmic Strings, Scale of SUSY breaking Our Universe is an Ultimate Test of Fundamental Physics High-energy accelerators will probe the scale of energies way below GUT scales Cosmology and astrophysics are sources of data in the gravitational sector of the fundamental physics (above GUT, near Planck scale) InIn viewview ofof thethe recentrecent cosmologicalcosmological observationsobservations supportingsupporting darkdark energyenergy andand inflationinflation itit isis fairfair toto saysay thatthat wewe dodo notnot reallyreally knowknow whatwhat isis ““fundamentalfundamental physicsphysics”” “ Most embarrassing observation in physics – that’s the only quick thing I can say about dark energy that’s also true.” -- Edward Witten WhatWhat isis soso embarrassingembarrassing aboutabout it?it? TwoTwo generalgeneral problems:problems: • Why is the cosmological constant so small, in Planck density units ? • Why ? Coincidence problem. addressed by anthropic principle, Weinberg 1987 TheThe thirdthird problem:problem: Two years ago it was not clear how one could possibly incorporate a positive cosmological constant in string theory This was the main reason of embarrassment for string theorists, because of the cosmological data suggesting that addressed by KKLT, 2003 OneOne cancan argueargue thatthat M/StringM/String theorytheory isis fundamentalfundamental • Perturbative finiteness of quantum gravity • Beyond standard model particle physics • Supersymmetry, supergravity: d=10/d=11 maximal dimension, almost unique • TheThe bestbest theorytheory wewe havehave nownow (unless it can be ruled out by observations) Stringy Cloak for a Null Singularity Higgs, Standard Model Supersymmetry, SPLIT SUPERSYMMETRY IFIF SUSYSUSY ISIS THERETHERE The significance of discovery of supersymmetry in nature, (which will manifests itself via existence of supersymmetric particles) is the discovery of the fermionicfermionic dimensionsdimensions ofof spacetimespacetime. ItIt willwill bebe thethe mostmost fundamentalfundamental discoverydiscovery inin physicsphysics afterafter EinsteinEinstein’’ss relativityrelativity SUPERSYMMETRY Gravity Supergravity/String theory Fundamental Physics Astrophysics → Cosmology → Field Theory a(t) → Equation of state w(z) → V(φ) SN CMB V ( φ( a(t) ) ) LSS The subtle slowing and growth of scales with time STScI – a(t) –map out the cosmic history like tree rings map out the Earth’s climate history. Map the expansion history of the universe Discovery!Discovery! AccelerationAcceleration Exploding stars – supernovae – are bright beacons that allow us to measure precisely the expansion over the last 10 billion years. WMAPWMAP andand thethe temperaturetemperature ofof thethe skysky WMAPWMAP andand spectrumspectrum ofof thethe microwavemicrowave backgroundbackground anisotropyanisotropy Cmbgg OmOl How much dark energy is there? Closed Open How much dark energy is there? closed Cmbggflat OmOl CMB open How much dark energy is there? closed Cmbggflat OmOl CMB open + LSS WMAP + SDSS: lots How much dark energy is there? closed Cmbggflat OmOl CMB open + LSS How much dark energy is there? closed Cmbggflat OmOl CMB open + LSS DARKDARK ENERGYENERGY Total energy in 3d flat FRW universe O 70% of the total energy of the universe is DARKDARK astro-ph/0407372 Spring 2005 NewNew datadata Boomerang,…, WMAP, 2005 ??? Planck, SNAP, LSST ..., 2010-2012 ItIt isis likelylikely thatthat 70%70% ofof DarkDark EnergyEnergy andand EarlyEarly UniverseUniverse InflationInflation willwill bebe confirmed,confirmed, butbut wewe havehave toto waitwait CosmologicalCosmological ConcordanceConcordance ModelModel Early Universe Inflation Current Acceleration NearNear dede SitterSitter spacespace NearNear dede SitterSitter spacespace 13.7 billion years ago Now During 10^{-35} sec During few billion years StringString TheoryTheory andand CosmologyCosmology All observations so far seem to fit 4d Einstein GR. We need to know how to get this picture from the compactified 10d string theory or 11d M-theory and supergravity HowHow toto getget dede SitterSitter oror nearnear dede SitterSitter 4d4d space?space? ADS/CFTADS/CFT CORRESPONDENCECORRESPONDENCE A major activity of string community from 1997 is AdS/CFT ??? NoNo--GoGo TheoremsTheorems forfor 4d4d dede SitterSitter SpaceSpace fromfrom 10/11d10/11d string/Mstring/M theorytheory • Gibbons 19851985 • de Wit, Smit, Hari Dass, 19871987 • Maldacena, Nunez, 20012001 HowHow toto gogo aroundaround thethe conditionsconditions forfor dede SitterSitter nono--gogo theorems?theorems? HowHow toto performperform aa compactificationcompactification fromfrom 10/1110/11 dimensionsdimensions toto 44 dimensionsdimensions andand stabilizestabilize thethe moduli?moduli? SpaceSpace ofof M/StringM/String TheoryTheory vacuavacua New developments • It was known for 20 years that string theory is not easily compatible with cosmology • During the last few years this became a very serious issue RecentRecent proposalproposal TowardsTowards cosmologycosmology inin typetype IIBIIB stringstring theorytheory Dilaton stabilization Giddings, Kachru and Polchinski 2001 Volume stabilization, KKLT Kachru, R. K, Linde, Trivedi 2003 Kachru, R. K., Maldacena, McAllister, Linde, Trivedi 2003 AAA photographicphotographicphotographic imageimageimage ofofof quantumquantumquantum fluctuationsfluctuationsfluctuations blownblownblown upupup tototo thethethe sizesizesize ofofof thethethe universeuniverseuniverse InflationaryInflationary slowslow rollroll parametersparameters inin unitsunits Primordial slope Derivatives w. r. to canonicaly normalized fields! Observational data CanCan StringString TheoryTheory AffordAfford thethe RunawayRunaway Moduli?Moduli? CompareCompare withwith observationsobservations 1. ForFor earlyearly universeuniverse inflationinflation 2. ForFor darkdark energyenergy For the dilaton For the total volume BothBoth stringystringy modulimoduli havehave veryvery steepsteep potentialspotentials incompatibleincompatible withwith thethe datadata eveneven forfor thethe currentcurrent accelerationacceleration ofof thethe universe,universe, particularlyparticularly thethe totaltotal volumevolume FLUXFLUX COMPACTIFICATION,COMPACTIFICATION, IIBIIB STRINGSTRING Non-perturbative string theory, perturbative d=10 supergravity Leads to stabilization of axion-dilaton and complex structure moduli KahlerKahler modulimoduli stabilizationstabilization cannotcannot bebe achievedachieved viavia fluxflux compactificationcompactification FluxFlux compactificationcompactification andand modulimoduli stabilizationstabilization inin IIBIIB stringstring theorytheory (supergravity(supergravity ++ locallocal sources)sources) The TheThe fluxesfluxes fixfix thethe shapeshape ofof CalabiCalabi--YauYau andand thethe dilatondilaton--axionaxion Wa KK andand MM areare integerinteger fluxesfluxes associatedassociated withwith thethe 33--formsforms inin typeIIBtypeIIB theorytheory Deformed Conifold The throat geometry has a highly warped region NoNo--scalescale PotentialPotential isis PositivePositive-- DefiniteDefinite NoNo--scalescale Runaway potential for the volume moduli. Dilaton and shape moduli are generically fixed in Minkowski space! KahlerKahler modulimoduli problemproblem (in(in particular,particular, overalloverall volume)volume) KKLT proposal i) non-perturbative superpotential from Euclidean D3-branes wrapped on special 4-cycles ii) non-perturbative superpotential from pure SYM on a stack of D7’s on EffectiveEffective theorytheory forfor thethe volumevolume modulimoduli SolveSolve the volume is stabilized in AdSAdS critical point in the regime of validity of calculations! AdS minimum VolumeVolume stabilizationstabilization BasicBasic steps:steps: Warped geometry of the compactified space and nonperturbative effects lead to AdS space (negative vacuum energy) with unbroken SUSY and stabilized volume Uplifting AdS space to a metastable dS space (positive vacuum energy) by adding anti-D3 brane (or D7 brane with fluxes) AdS minimum Metastable dS minimum KKLTKKLT basedbased newnew ideasideas LandscapeLandscape Susskind Statistics of FluxFlux VacuaVacua Douglas ModelsModels ofof InflationInflation inin StringString TheoryTheory Cosmic Strings Produced by the end of Inflation, OBSERVABLE IN THE FUTURE? Copeland, Myers, Polchinski CMB power spectrum WMAP data strings Acoustic peaks come from temporal coherence. Inflation has it, strings don’t.
Recommended publications
  • M2-Branes Ending on M5-Branes
    M2-branes ending on M5-branes Vasilis Niarchos Crete Center for Theoretical Physics, University of Crete 7th Crete Regional Meeting on String Theory, 27/06/2013 based on recent work with K. Siampos 1302.0854, ``The black M2-M5 ring intersection spins’‘ Proceedings Corfu Summer School, 2012 1206.2935, ``Entropy of the self-dual string soliton’’, JHEP 1207 (2012) 134 1205.1535, ``M2-M5 blackfold funnels’’, JHEP 1206 (2012) 175 and older work with R. Emparan, T. Harmark and N. A. Obers ➣ blackfold theory 1106.4428, ``Blackfolds in Supergravity and String Theory’’, JHEP 1108 (2011) 154 0912.2352, ``New Horizons for Black Holes and Branes’’, JHEP 1004 (2010) 046 0910.1601, ``Essentials of Blackfold Dynamics’’, JHEP 1003 (2010) 063 0902.0427, ``World-Volume Effective Theory for Higher-Dimensional Black Holes’’, PRL 102 (2009)191301 0708.2181, ``The Phase Structure of Higher-Dimensional Black Rings and Black Holes’‘ + M.J. Rodriguez JHEP 0710 (2007) 110 2 Important lessons about the fundamentals of string/M-theory (and QFT) are obtained by studying the low-energy theories on D-branes and M-branes. Most notably in M-theory, recent progress has clarified the low-energy QFT on N M2-brane and the N3/2 dof that it exhibits. Bagger-Lambert ’06, Gustavsson ’07, ABJM ’08 Drukker-Marino-Putrov ’10 Our understanding of the M5-brane theory is more rudimentary, but efforts to identify analogous properties, e.g. the N3 scaling of the massless dof, is underway. Douglas ’10 Lambert,Papageorgakis,Schmidt-Sommerfeld ’10 Hosomichi-Seong-Terashima ’12 Kim-Kim ’12 Kallen-Minahan-Nedelin-Zabzine ’12 ..
    [Show full text]
  • Symmetries of String Theory and Early Universe Cosmology
    String Cosmology R. Branden- berger Introduction Symmetries of String Theory and Early T-Duality: Key Symmetry of Universe Cosmology String Theory String Gas Cosmology Structure Robert Brandenberger Perturbations Overview Physics Department, McGill University Analysis DFT Conclusions Yukawa Institute, Kyoto University, Feb. 26, 2018 1 / 61 Outline String Cosmology 1 Introduction R. Branden- berger 2 T-Duality: Key Symmetry of String Theory Introduction T-Duality: Key 3 String Gas Cosmology Symmetry of String Theory String Gas 4 String Gas Cosmology and Structure Formation Cosmology Review of the Theory of Cosmological Perturbations Structure Perturbations Overview Overview Analysis Analysis DFT 5 Double Field Theory as a Background for String Gas Conclusions Cosmology 6 Conclusions 2 / 61 Plan String Cosmology 1 Introduction R. Branden- berger 2 T-Duality: Key Symmetry of String Theory Introduction T-Duality: Key 3 String Gas Cosmology Symmetry of String Theory String Gas 4 String Gas Cosmology and Structure Formation Cosmology Review of the Theory of Cosmological Perturbations Structure Perturbations Overview Overview Analysis Analysis DFT 5 Double Field Theory as a Background for String Gas Conclusions Cosmology 6 Conclusions 3 / 61 Inflation: the Standard Model of Early Universe Cosmology String Cosmology R. Branden- berger Introduction Inflation is the standard paradigm of early universe T-Duality: Key cosmology. Symmetry of String Theory Inflation solves conceptual problems of Standard Big String Gas Bang Cosmology. Cosmology Structure Inflation predicts an almost scale-invariant spectrum of Perturbations Overview primordial cosmological perturbations with a small red Analysis tilt (Chibisov & Mukhanov, 1981). DFT Conclusions Fluctuations are nearly Gaussian and nearly adiabatic. 4 / 61 Map of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) String Cosmology R.
    [Show full text]
  • A String Landscape Perspective on Naturalness Outline • Preliminaries
    A String Landscape Perspective on Naturalness A. Hebecker (Heidelberg) Outline • Preliminaries (I): The problem(s) and the multiverse `solution' • Preliminaries (II): From field theory to quantum gravity (String theory in 10 dimensions) • Compactifications to 4 dimensions • The (flux-) landscape • Eternal inflation, multiverse, measure problem The two hierarchy/naturalness problems • A much simplified basic lagrangian is 2 2 2 2 4 L ∼ MP R − Λ − jDHj + mhjHj − λjHj : • Assuming some simple theory with O(1) fundamental parameters at the scale E ∼ MP , we generically expectΛ and mH of that order. • For simplicity and because it is experimentally better established, I will focus in on theΛ-problem. (But almost all that follows applies to both problems!) The multiverse `solution' • It is quite possible that in the true quantum gravity theory, Λ comes out tiny as a result of an accidental cancellation. • But, we perceive that us unlikely. • By contrast, if we knew there were 10120 valid quantum gravity theories, we would be quite happy assuming that one of them has smallΛ. (As long as the calculations giving Λ are sufficiently involved to argue for Gaussian statisics of the results.) • Even better (since in principle testable): We could have one theory with 10120 solutions with differentΛ. Λ-values ! The multiverse `solution' (continued) • This `generic multiverse logic' has been advertised long before any supporting evidence from string theory existed. This goes back at least to the 80's and involves many famous names: Barrow/Tipler , Tegmark , Hawking , Hartle , Coleman , Weinberg .... • Envoking the `Anthropic Principle', [the selection of universes by demanding features which we think are necessary for intelligent life and hence for observers] it is then even possible to predict certain observables.
    [Show full text]
  • Arxiv:2108.08491V1 [Hep-Th] 19 Aug 2021
    Prepared for submission to JHEP RESCEU-16/21 Sequestered Inflation Renata Kallosh,a Andrei Linde,a Timm Wrase,b and Yusuke Yamadac aStanford Institute for Theoretical Physics and Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA bDepartment of Physics, Lehigh University, 16 Memorial Drive East, Bethlehem, PA 18018, USA cResearch Center for the Early Universe (RESCEU), Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1 Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Abstract: We construct supergravity models allowing to sequester the phenomenology of inflation from the Planckian energy scale physics. The procedure consists of two steps: At Step I we study supergravity models, which might be associated with string theory or M-theory, and have supersymmetric Minkowski vacua with flat directions. At Step II we uplift these flat directions to inflationary plateau potentials. We find certain conditions which ensure that the superheavy fields involved in the stabilization of the Minkowski vacua at Step I are completely decoupled from the inflationary phenomenology. arXiv:2108.08491v2 [hep-th] 30 Aug 2021 Contents 1 Introduction2 2 Single field models3 2.1 Step I 3 2.1.1 Models with canonical K¨ahlerpotential4 2.1.2 General K¨ahlerpotentials5 2.1.3 α-attractors6 3 Two field model8 3.1 Step I 8 3.2 Step II 9 4 Three field model 10 4.1 Step I 10 4.2 Step II 11 5 Discussion 13 1 Introduction Cosmological α-attractors [1{4] are among the very few inflationary models favored by the Planck2018 data [5, 6].
    [Show full text]
  • Flux Moduli Stabilisation, Supergravity Algebras and No-Go Theorems Arxiv
    IFT-UAM/CSIC-09-36 Flux moduli stabilisation, Supergravity algebras and no-go theorems Beatriz de Carlosa, Adolfo Guarinob and Jes´usM. Morenob a School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK b Instituto de F´ısicaTe´oricaUAM/CSIC, Facultad de Ciencias C-XVI, Universidad Aut´onomade Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain Abstract We perform a complete classification of the flux-induced 12d algebras compatible with the set of N = 1 type II orientifold models that are T-duality invariant, and allowed by the symmetries of the 6 ¯ T =(Z2 ×Z2) isotropic orbifold. The classification is performed in a type IIB frame, where only H3 and Q fluxes are present. We then study no-go theorems, formulated in a type IIA frame, on the existence of Minkowski/de Sitter (Mkw/dS) vacua. By deriving a dictionary between the sources of potential energy in types IIB and IIA, we are able to combine algebra results and no-go theorems. The outcome is a systematic procedure for identifying phenomenologically viable models where Mkw/dS vacua may exist. We present a complete table of the allowed algebras and the viability of their resulting scalar potential, and we point at the models which stand any chance of producing a fully stable vacuum. arXiv:0907.5580v3 [hep-th] 20 Jan 2010 e-mail: [email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected] Contents 1 Motivation and outline 1 2 Fluxes and Supergravity algebras 3 2.1 The N = 1 orientifold limits as duality frames . .4 2.2 T-dual algebras in the isotropic Z2 × Z2 orientifolds .
    [Show full text]
  • Duality and Strings Dieter Lüst, LMU and MPI München
    Duality and Strings Dieter Lüst, LMU and MPI München Freitag, 15. März 13 Luis made several very profound and important contributions to theoretical physics ! Freitag, 15. März 13 Luis made several very profound and important contributions to theoretical physics ! Often we were working on related subjects and I enjoyed various very nice collaborations and friendship with Luis. Freitag, 15. März 13 Luis made several very profound and important contributions to theoretical physics ! Often we were working on related subjects and I enjoyed various very nice collaborations and friendship with Luis. Duality of 4 - dimensional string constructions: • Covariant lattices ⇔ (a)symmetric orbifolds (1986/87: W. Lerche, D.L., A. Schellekens ⇔ L. Ibanez, H.P. Nilles, F. Quevedo) • Intersecting D-brane models ☞ SM (?) (2000/01: R. Blumenhagen, B. Körs, L. Görlich, D.L., T. Ott ⇔ G. Aldazabal, S. Franco, L. Ibanez, F. Marchesano, R. Rabadan, A. Uranga) Freitag, 15. März 13 Luis made several very profound and important contributions to theoretical physics ! Often we were working on related subjects and I enjoyed various very nice collaborations and friendship with Luis. Duality of 4 - dimensional string constructions: • Covariant lattices ⇔ (a)symmetric orbifolds (1986/87: W. Lerche, D.L., A. Schellekens ⇔ L. Ibanez, H.P. Nilles, F. Quevedo) • Intersecting D-brane models ☞ SM (?) (2000/01: R. Blumenhagen, B. Körs, L. Görlich, D.L., T. Ott ⇔ G. Aldazabal, S. Franco, L. Ibanez, F. Marchesano, R. Rabadan, A. Uranga) ➢ Madrid (Spanish) Quiver ! Freitag, 15. März 13 Luis made several very profound and important contributions to theoretical physics ! Often we were working on related subjects and I enjoyed various very nice collaborations and friendship with Luis.
    [Show full text]
  • String-Inspired Running Vacuum—The ``Vacuumon''—And the Swampland Criteria
    universe Article String-Inspired Running Vacuum—The “Vacuumon”—And the Swampland Criteria Nick E. Mavromatos 1 , Joan Solà Peracaula 2,* and Spyros Basilakos 3,4 1 Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology Group, Physics Department, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK; [email protected] 2 Departament de Física Quàntica i Astrofísica, and Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 647, E-08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain 3 Academy of Athens, Research Center for Astronomy and Applied Mathematics, Soranou Efessiou 4, 11527 Athens, Greece; [email protected] 4 National Observatory of Athens, Lofos Nymfon, 11852 Athens, Greece * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 15 October 2020; Accepted: 17 November 2020; Published: 20 November 2020 Abstract: We elaborate further on the compatibility of the “vacuumon potential” that characterises the inflationary phase of the running vacuum model (RVM) with the swampland criteria. The work is motivated by the fact that, as demonstrated recently by the authors, the RVM framework can be derived as an effective gravitational field theory stemming from underlying microscopic (critical) string theory models with gravitational anomalies, involving condensation of primordial gravitational waves. Although believed to be a classical scalar field description, not representing a fully fledged quantum field, we show here that the vacuumon potential satisfies certain swampland criteria for the relevant regime of parameters and field range. We link the criteria to the Gibbons–Hawking entropy that has been argued to characterise the RVM during the de Sitter phase. These results imply that the vacuumon may, after all, admit under certain conditions, a rôle as a quantum field during the inflationary (almost de Sitter) phase of the running vacuum.
    [Show full text]
  • From Vibrating Strings to a Unified Theory of All Interactions
    Barton Zwiebach From Vibrating Strings to a Unified Theory of All Interactions or the last twenty years, physicists have investigated F String Theory rather vigorously. The theory has revealed an unusual depth. As a result, despite much progress in our under- standing of its remarkable properties, basic features of the theory remain a mystery. This extended period of activity is, in fact, the second period of activity in string theory. When it was first discov- ered in the late 1960s, string theory attempted to describe strongly interacting particles. Along came Quantum Chromodynamics— a theoryof quarks and gluons—and despite their early promise, strings faded away. This time string theory is a credible candidate for a theoryof all interactions—a unified theoryof all forces and matter. The greatest complication that frustrated the search for such a unified theorywas the incompatibility between two pillars of twen- tieth century physics: Einstein’s General Theoryof Relativity and the principles of Quantum Mechanics. String theory appears to be 30 ) zwiebach mit physics annual 2004 the long-sought quantum mechani- cal theory of gravity and other interactions. It is almost certain that string theory is a consistent theory. It is less certain that it describes our real world. Nevertheless, intense work has demonstrated that string theory incorporates many features of the physical universe. It is reasonable to be very optimistic about the prospects of string theory. Perhaps one of the most impressive features of string theory is the appearance of gravity as one of the fluctuation modes of a closed string. Although it was not discov- ered exactly in this way, we can describe a logical path that leads to the discovery of gravity in string theory.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Conformal Field Theory and String
    SLAC-PUB-5149 December 1989 m INTRODUCTION TO CONFORMAL FIELD THEORY AND STRING THEORY* Lance J. Dixon Stanford Linear Accelerator Center Stanford University Stanford, CA 94309 ABSTRACT I give an elementary introduction to conformal field theory and its applications to string theory. I. INTRODUCTION: These lectures are meant to provide a brief introduction to conformal field -theory (CFT) and string theory for those with no prior exposure to the subjects. There are many excellent reviews already available (or almost available), and most of these go in to much more detail than I will be able to here. Those reviews con- centrating on the CFT side of the subject include refs. 1,2,3,4; those emphasizing string theory include refs. 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13 I will start with a little pre-history of string theory to help motivate the sub- ject. In the 1960’s it was noticed that certain properties of the hadronic spectrum - squared masses for resonances that rose linearly with the angular momentum - resembled the excitations of a massless, relativistic string.14 Such a string is char- *Work supported in by the Department of Energy, contract DE-AC03-76SF00515. Lectures presented at the Theoretical Advanced Study Institute In Elementary Particle Physics, Boulder, Colorado, June 4-30,1989 acterized by just one energy (or length) scale,* namely the square root of the string tension T, which is the energy per unit length of a static, stretched string. For strings to describe the strong interactions fi should be of order 1 GeV. Although strings provided a qualitative understanding of much hadronic physics (and are still useful today for describing hadronic spectra 15 and fragmentation16), some features were hard to reconcile.
    [Show full text]
  • The Fuzzball Proposal for Black Holes: an Elementary Review
    hep-th/0502050 The fuzzball proposal for black holes: an elementary review1 Samir D. Mathur Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA [email protected] Abstract We give an elementary review of black holes in string theory. We discuss BPS holes, the microscopic computation of entropy and the ‘fuzzball’ picture of the arXiv:hep-th/0502050v1 3 Feb 2005 black hole interior suggested by microstates of the 2-charge system. 1Lecture given at the RTN workshop ‘The quantum structure of space-time and the geometric nature of fundamental interactions’, in Crete, Greece (September 2004). 1 Introduction The quantum theory of black holes presents many paradoxes. It is vital to ask how these paradoxes are to be resolved, for the answers will likely lead to deep changes in our understanding of quantum gravity, spacetime and matter. Bekenstein [1] argued that black holes should be attributed an entropy A S = (1.1) Bek 4G where A is the area of the horizon and G is the Newton constant of gravitation. (We have chosen units to set c = ~ = 1.) This entropy must be attributed to the hole if we are to prevent a violation of the second law of thermodynamics. We can throw a box of gas with entropy ∆S into a black hole, and see it vanish into the central singularity. This would seem to decrease the entropy of the Universe, but we note that the area of the horizon increases as a result of the energy added by the box. It turns out that if we assign (1.1) as the entropy of the hole then the total entropy is nondecreasing dS dS Bek + matter 0 (1.2) dt dt ≥ This would seem to be a good resolution of the entropy problem, but it leads to another problem.
    [Show full text]
  • String Theory for Pedestrians
    String Theory for Pedestrians – CERN, Jan 29-31, 2007 – B. Zwiebach, MIT This series of 3 lecture series will cover the following topics 1. Introduction. The classical theory of strings. Application: physics of cosmic strings. 2. Quantum string theory. Applications: i) Systematics of hadronic spectra ii) Quark-antiquark potential (lattice simulations) iii) AdS/CFT: the quark-gluon plasma. 3. String models of particle physics. The string theory landscape. Alternatives: Loop quantum gravity? Formulations of string theory. 1 Introduction For the last twenty years physicists have investigated String Theory rather vigorously. Despite much progress, the basic features of the theory remain a mystery. In the late 1960s, string theory attempted to describe strongly interacting particles. Along came Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD)– a theory of quarks and gluons – and despite their early promise, strings faded away. This time string theory is a credible candidate for a theory of all interactions – a unified theory of all forces and matter. Additionally, • Through the AdS/CFT correspondence, it is a valuable tool for the study of theories like QCD. • It has helped understand the origin of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of black holes. • Finally, it has inspired many of the scenarios for physics Beyond the Standard Model of Particle physics. 2 Greatest problem of twentieth century physics: the incompatibility of Einstein’s General Relativity and the principles of Quantum Mechanics. String theory appears to be the long-sought quantum mechanical theory of gravity and other interactions. It is almost certain that string theory is a consistent theory. It is less certain that it describes our real world.
    [Show full text]
  • Inflation in String Theory: - Towards Inflation in String Theory - on D3-Brane Potentials in Compactifications with Fluxes and Wrapped D-Branes
    1935-6 Spring School on Superstring Theory and Related Topics 27 March - 4 April, 2008 Inflation in String Theory: - Towards Inflation in String Theory - On D3-brane Potentials in Compactifications with Fluxes and Wrapped D-branes Liam McAllister Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA hep-th/0308055 SLAC-PUB-9669 SU-ITP-03/18 TIFR/TH/03-06 Towards Inflation in String Theory Shamit Kachru,a,b Renata Kallosh,a Andrei Linde,a Juan Maldacena,c Liam McAllister,a and Sandip P. Trivedid a Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA b SLAC, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94309, USA c Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA d Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005, INDIA We investigate the embedding of brane inflation into stable compactifications of string theory. At first sight a warped compactification geometry seems to produce a naturally flat inflaton potential, evading one well-known difficulty of brane-antibrane scenarios. Care- arXiv:hep-th/0308055v2 23 Sep 2003 ful consideration of the closed string moduli reveals a further obstacle: superpotential stabilization of the compactification volume typically modifies the inflaton potential and renders it too steep for inflation. We discuss the non-generic conditions under which this problem does not arise. We conclude that brane inflation models can only work if restric- tive assumptions about the method of volume stabilization, the warping of the internal space, and the source of inflationary energy are satisfied. We argue that this may not be a real problem, given the large range of available fluxes and background geometries in string theory.
    [Show full text]