Joe's Little Book of String1 Class Notes, Phys 230A, String Theory
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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 .. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
Three Duality Symmetries Between Photons and Cosmic String Loops, and Macro and Micro Black Holes
Symmetry 2015, 7, 2134-2149; doi:10.3390/sym7042134 OPEN ACCESS symmetry ISSN 2073-8994 www.mdpi.com/journal/symmetry Article Three Duality Symmetries between Photons and Cosmic String Loops, and Macro and Micro Black Holes David Jou 1;2;*, Michele Sciacca 1;3;4;* and Maria Stella Mongiovì 4;5 1 Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Spain 2 Institut d’Estudis Catalans, Carme 47, Barcelona 08001, Spain 3 Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Palermo 90128, Italy 4 Istituto Nazionale di Alta Matematica, Roma 00185 , Italy 5 Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Gestionale, Informatica, Meccanica (DICGIM), Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Palermo 90128, Italy; E-Mail: [email protected] * Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mails: [email protected] (D.J.); [email protected] (M.S.); Tel.: +34-93-581-1658 (D.J.); +39-091-23897084 (M.S.). Academic Editor: Sergei Odintsov Received: 22 September 2015 / Accepted: 9 November 2015 / Published: 17 November 2015 Abstract: We present a review of two thermal duality symmetries between two different kinds of systems: photons and cosmic string loops, and macro black holes and micro black holes, respectively. It also follows a third joint duality symmetry amongst them through thermal equilibrium and stability between macro black holes and photon gas, and micro black holes and string loop gas, respectively. The possible cosmological consequences of these symmetries are discussed. Keywords: photons; cosmic string loops; black holes thermodynamics; duality symmetry 1. Introduction Thermal duality relates high-energy and low-energy states of corresponding dual systems in such a way that the thermal properties of a state of one of them at some temperature T are related to the properties of a state of the other system at temperature 1=T [1–6]. -
Curriculum Vitae
CURRICULUM VITAE Raman Sundrum July 26, 2019 CONTACT INFORMATION Physical Sciences Complex, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 Office - (301) 405-6012 Email: [email protected] CAREER John S. Toll Chair, Director of the Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics, 2012 - present. Distinguished University Professor, University of Maryland, 2011-present. Elkins Chair, Professor of Physics, University of Maryland, 2010-2012. Alumni Centennial Chair, Johns Hopkins University, 2006- 2010. Full Professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, 2001- 2010. Associate Professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hop- kins University, 2000- 2001. Research Associate at the Department of Physics, Stanford University, 1999- 2000. Advisor { Prof. Savas Dimopoulos. 1 Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Physics, Boston University. 1996- 1999. Postdoc advisor { Prof. Sekhar Chivukula. Postdoctoral Fellow in Theoretical Physics at Harvard University, 1993-1996. Post- doc advisor { Prof. Howard Georgi. Postdoctoral Fellow in Theoretical Physics at the University of California at Berke- ley, 1990-1993. Postdoc advisor { Prof. Stanley Mandelstam. EDUCATION Yale University, New-Haven, Connecticut Ph.D. in Elementary Particle Theory, May 1990 Thesis Title: `Theoretical and Phenomenological Aspects of Effective Gauge Theo- ries' Thesis advisor: Prof. Lawrence Krauss Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island Participant in the 1988 Theoretical Advanced Summer Institute University of Sydney, Australia B.Sc with First Class Honours in Mathematics and Physics, Dec. 1984 AWARDS, DISTINCTIONS J. J. Sakurai Prize in Theoretical Particle Physics, American Physical Society, 2019. Distinguished Visiting Research Chair, Perimeter Institute, 2012 - present. 2 Moore Fellow, Cal Tech, 2015. American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow, 2011. -
Chapter 9: the 'Emergence' of Spacetime in String Theory
Chapter 9: The `emergence' of spacetime in string theory Nick Huggett and Christian W¨uthrich∗ May 21, 2020 Contents 1 Deriving general relativity 2 2 Whence spacetime? 9 3 Whence where? 12 3.1 The worldsheet interpretation . 13 3.2 T-duality and scattering . 14 3.3 Scattering and local topology . 18 4 Whence the metric? 20 4.1 `Background independence' . 21 4.2 Is there a Minkowski background? . 24 4.3 Why split the full metric? . 27 4.4 T-duality . 29 5 Quantum field theoretic considerations 29 5.1 The graviton concept . 30 5.2 Graviton coherent states . 32 5.3 GR from QFT . 34 ∗This is a chapter of the planned monograph Out of Nowhere: The Emergence of Spacetime in Quantum Theories of Gravity, co-authored by Nick Huggett and Christian W¨uthrich and under contract with Oxford University Press. More information at www.beyondspacetime.net. The primary author of this chapter is Nick Huggett ([email protected]). This work was sup- ported financially by the ACLS and the John Templeton Foundation (the views expressed are those of the authors not necessarily those of the sponsors). We want to thank Tushar Menon and James Read for exceptionally careful comments on a draft this chapter. We are also grateful to Niels Linnemann for some helpful feedback. 1 6 Conclusions 35 This chapter builds on the results of the previous two to investigate the extent to which spacetime might be said to `emerge' in perturbative string the- ory. Our starting point is the string theoretic derivation of general relativity explained in depth in the previous chapter, and reviewed in x1 below (so that the philosophical conclusions of this chapter can be understood by those who are less concerned with formal detail, and so skip the previous one). -
Type II and Heterotic One Loop String Effective Actions in Four Dimensions
Type II and heterotic one loop string effective actions in four dimensions Filipe Moura Security and Quantum Information Group - Instituto de Telecomunica¸c˜oes Instituto Superior T´ecnico, Departamento de Matem´atica Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal [email protected] Abstract We analyze the reduction to four dimensions of the 4 terms which are part of the ten-dimensional string effective actions, bothR at tree level and one loop. We show that there are two independent combinations of 4 R present, at one loop, in the type IIA four dimensional effective action, which means they both have their origin in M-theory. The d = 4 heterotic effective action also has such terms. This contradicts the common belief that there is only one 4 term in four-dimensional supergravity theories, given by the square of theR Bel-Robinson tensor. In pure = 1 supergravity this new N 4 combination cannot be directly supersymmetrized, but we show that, whenR coupled to a scalar chiral multiplet (violating the U(1) R-symmetry), arXiv:hep-th/0703026v2 12 Jun 2007 it emerges in the action after elimination of the auxiliary fields. Contents 1 Introduction 1 2 String effective actions to order α′3 in d = 10 3 3 String effective actions to order α′3 in d =4 5 3.1 4 terms in d = 4 from d =10....................... 5 R 3.2 Moduli-independent terms in d =4effectiveactions . 8 4 4 terms and d =4 supersymmetry 10 4.1R Someknownresults............................. 10 4.2 4 + 4 in =1matter-coupledsupergravity . 11 W+ W− N 4.3 4 + 4 inextendedsupergravity . -
Stanley Mandelstam
I knew very early of Stanley Mandelstam I started physics as a t Prisoner of the s u Mandelstam Triangle I escaped from the Mandelstam Triangle only to be ensnared in Light-Cone Superspace A Note of Personal Gratitude 1971 NAL Visit SuperConformal Theories P. Ramond (with S. Ananth, D. Belyaev, L. Brink and S.-S. Kim) Light-Cone Superspaces N=4 Super Yang-Mills N=8 SuperConformal N=8 SuperGravity and E7(7) N=16 SuperGravity and E8(8) N=8 Light-Cone Superspace houses D=11: N=1 SuperGravity SO(9); F4/SO(9) D=4: N=8 SuperGravity SO(2)x E7(7) D=3: N=16 SuperGravity E8(8) D=2: N=16 Theory E9(9) N=4 Light-Cone Superspace habitat for D=10: N=1 Super Yang-Mills SO(8) D=4: N=4 Super Yang-Mills PSU(2,2|4) D=3: N=8 Super Conformal OSp(2,2|8) 1 i 1 ϕ (y) = 1 A (y) + i θm θn C (y) + 1θm θn θp θq $ ∂+ A¯ (y) + m n mn m n p mnpqq + ¯ ϕ (y) = +∂A (y) + √2θ θ Cmn (y) +12 θ θ θ θ $mnpq ∂ A (y) ∂ √2 √ 12 1 i 1 i m 2 m n p q m n m n p q + i+ +¯ θ χ¯m(y) + √2θ θ θ $mnpq χ (y) ϕ (y) = + A (y) + θ θ Cmn (y) + θ θ θ θ $mnpq ∂ ∂Am(y) 6 m n p q ∂ √2 12 + θ χ¯m(y) + θ θ θ $mnpq χ (y) 1 i m n 1 m n p ∂q+ + ¯ 6 ϕ (y) = A (y) + √θ θ C L(C2y) + Fθorθ maθ θ $lmnpqism∂ A (y) ∂+i m √ 2 m nmnp q12 + θ χ¯m(y) +2 θ θ θ $mnpq χ (y) 1 0 3 ∂+ 6 x± = (x x ) i √2 √ m m n p q 12 0± 3 + + θ χ¯m(y) + θ θ θ $mnpq χ (y) x± = (x x ) ∂ 6 √2 ± Light-Cone Co1ordina0 3tes: 1 0 3 x± = (x x ) ∂± = ( ∂ ∂ ) √2 ± √2 − ± 1 0 3 1 0 3 x± = (x x ) ∂± = ( ∂ ∂ ) 1 0√ 3 ± 1 1 2√2 − ±1 1 2 ∂± = ( ∂ 2∂ ) x = (x + ix ) x = (x ix ) √2 − ± √2 √2 − m m + 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 q+ , q¯+ n =1 i√2δ n ∂ x = 1(x + ix -
Julian Schwinger: Nuclear Physics, the Radiation Laboratory, Renormalized QED, Source Theory, and Beyond
Julian Schwinger: Nuclear Physics, the Radiation Laboratory, Renormalized QED, Source Theory, and Beyond Kimball A. Milton∗ Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019 USA October 9, 2006 Abstract Julian Schwinger’s influence on twentieth century science is pro- found and pervasive. Of course, he is most famous for his renormal- ization theory of quantum electrodynamics, for which he shared the Nobel Prize with Richard Feynman and Sin-itiro Tomonaga. But al- though this triumph was undoubtedly his most heroic work, his legacy lives on chiefly through subtle and elegant work in classical electrody- namics, quantum variational principles, proper-time methods, quan- tum anomalies, dynamical mass generation, partial symmetry, and more. Starting as just a boy, he rapidly became the pre-eminent nu- clear physicist in the late 1930s, led the theoretical development of radar technology at MIT during World War II, and then, soon after the war, conquered quantum electrodynamics, and became the leading quantum field theorist for two decades, before taking a more icono- clastic route during his last quarter century. Keywords: Julian Schwinger, nuclear physics, waveguides, quan- tum electrodynamics, renormalization, quantum action principle, source theory, axial-vector anomaly ∗K.A. Milton is Professor of Physics at the University of Oklahoma. He was a Ph.D. stu- dent of Julian Schwinger from 1968–71, and his postdoc at UCLA for the rest of the 1970s. He has written a scientific biography of Schwinger, edited two volumes of Schwinger’s se- lected works, and co-authored two textbooks based on Schwinger’s lectures. -
STRING THEORY in the TWENTIETH CENTURY John H
STRING THEORY IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY John H. Schwarz Strings 2016 { August 1, 2016 ABSTRACT String theory has been described as 21st century sci- ence, which was discovered in the 20th century. Most of you are too young to have experienced what happened. Therefore, I think it makes sense to summarize some of the highlights in this opening lecture. Since I only have 25 minutes, this cannot be a com- prehensive history. Important omitted topics include 2d CFT, string field theory, topological string theory, string phenomenology, and contributions to pure mathematics. Even so, I probably have too many slides. 1 1960 { 68: The analytic S matrix The goal was to construct the S matrix that describes hadronic scattering amplitudes by assuming • Unitarity and analyticity of the S matrix • Analyticity in angular momentum and Regge Pole The- ory • The bootstrap conjecture, which developed into Dual- ity (e.g., between s-channel and t-channel resonances) 2 The dual resonance model In 1968 Veneziano found an explicit realization of duality and Regge behavior in the narrow resonance approxima- tion: Γ(−α(s))Γ(−α(t)) A(s; t) = g2 ; Γ(−α(s) − α(t)) 0 α(s) = α(0) + α s: The motivation was phenomenological. Incredibly, this turned out to be a tree amplitude in a string theory! 3 Soon thereafter Virasoro proposed, as an alternative, g2 Γ(−α(s))Γ(−α(t))Γ(−α(u)) T = 2 2 2 ; −α(t)+α(u) −α(s)+α(u) −α(s)+α(t) Γ( 2 )Γ( 2 )Γ( 2 ) which has similar virtues. -
The Influence of Stanley Mandelstam
The Influence of Stanley Mandelstam Michael B. Green Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK School of Physics and Astronomy Queen Mary University of London, Mile End road, London E1 4NS, UK I hardly knew Stanley Mandelstam - our paths rarely crossed, and when they did our discussions were restricted to technical, rather than personal, issues. It is, however, an honour to be asked to write this short memoir since his work was hugely innovative and he was one of the pioneers who laid the foundations for much of the subject of my research. My interests as a PhD student in Cambridge in the late 1960's were strongly influenced by the ideas of S-matrix theory that had emerged from Berkeley, largely following the work of Chew, and Mandelstam. Stanley made use of his exceptional understanding of the analytic properties of perturbative quantum field theory to motivate a more rigorous approach to S- matrix theory. This led him to the covariant formulation of scattering amplitudes in terms of \Mandelstam variables" and to the \Mandelstam representation", which provided an elegant framework for discussing dispersion relations. He was one of the early contributors to Regge pole theory and its relation to sums of Feynman diagrams. These were the basic ingredients for much of the S-matrix programme that attempted to explain the strong interactions in the absence of a quantum field theory description. Stanley was prominent in the series of developments relating to the strong interactions that grew out of the S-matrix programme and were taking place during my period as a graduate student.