On novel string theories from 4d gauge theories

We investigate strings theories as defined from four dimensional gauge theories. It is argued that novel (super)string theories exist up to 26 dimensions. Some of them may support weakly curved geometries.Comment: LateX, 17 pages. (v2) Removed showkeys command and added references (v3) Added new references and updated the discussion on space-time dependent couplings (v4) Added reference

Duality Symmetries and Topology Change in String Theory

Duality symmetries for strings moving in non-trivial spacetime backgrounds are analysed. It is shown that for backgrounds generated from WZW and coset CFT models such duality symmetries are exact to all orders in string perturbation theory. Their implications for string dynamics in non-trivial/singular spacetimes are discussed. (Talk given at the EPS 93 Conference, held at Marseille, July 22-27. To appear in the Proceedings.)Comment: lateX file, 6pp. CERN-TH.7003/9

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.Comment: 18 pages, LaTex, 1 figur

Solving the Decompactification Problem in String Theory

We investigate heterotic ground states in four dimensions in which N=4 supersymmetry is spontaneously broken to N=2. N=4 supersymmetry is restored at a decompactification limit corresponding to $m_{3/2}\to 0$. We calculate the full moduli dependent threshold corrections and confirm that they are supressed in the decompactification limit $m_{3/2}\to 0$ as expected from the restoration of N=4 supersymmetry. This should be contrasted with the behavior of the standard N=2 groundstates where the coupling blow up linearly with the volume of the decompactifying manifold. This mechanism provides a solution to the decompactification problem for the gauge coupling constants. We also discuss how the mechanism can be implemented in ground states with lower supersymmetry.Comment: 14pp, LaTeX some typos correcte

Five-Brane Configurations without a Strong Coupling Regime

Five-brane distributions with no strong coupling problems and high symmetry are studied. The simplest configuration corresponds to a spherical shell of branes with S^3 geometry and symmetry. The equations of motions with delta-function sources are carefully solved in such backgrounds. Various other brane distributions with sixteen unbroken supercharges are described. They are associated to exact world-sheet superconformal field theories with domain-walls in space-time. We study the equations of gravitational fluctuations, find normalizable modes of bulk 6-d gravitons and confirm the existence of a mass gap. We also study the moduli of the configurations and derive their (normalizable) wave-functions. We use our results to calculate in a controllable fashion using holography, the two-point function of the stress tensor of little string theory in these vacua.Comment: LateX, 32 pages, 4 figures; (v2) A reference adde

String Gravity and Cosmology: Some new ideas

String theory provides the only consistent framework so far that unifies all interactions including gravity. We discuss gravity and cosmology in string theory. Conventional notions from general relativity like geometry, topology etc. are well defined only as low energy approximations in string theory. At small distances physics deviates from the field theoretic intuition. We present several examples of purely stringy phenomena which imply that the physics at strong curvatures can be quite different from what one might expect from field theory. They indicate new possibilities in the context of quantum cosmology.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the Four Seas Conference, Trieste, June 199

Large-N limits of 2d CFTs, Quivers and AdS_3 duals

We explore the large-N limits of 2d CFTs, focusing mostly on WZW models and their cosets. The $SU(N)_k$ theory is parametrized in this limit by a 't Hooft-like coupling. We show a duality between strong coupling, where the theory is described by almost free fermions, and weak coupling where the theory is described by bosonic fields by an analysis of spectra and correlators. The AdS$_3$ dual is described, and several quantitative checks are performed. Besides the more standard states that should correspond to bulk black holes we find ground states with large degeneracy that can dominate the standard Cardy entropy at weak coupling and are expected to correspond to regular horizonless semiclassical bulk solutions.Comment: latex, 54pages; v2 minor changes, addition of a new appendix on YM-CS theories on AdS3, version published in JHEP; v3 several misprints have been corrected in the formulae of section

Mirage Cosmology

A brane universe moving in a curved higher dimensional bulk space is considered. The motion induces a cosmological evolution on the universe brane that is indistiguishable from a similar one induced by matter density on the brane. The phenomenological implications of such an idea are discussed. Various mirage energy densities are found, corresponding to dilute matter driving the cosmological expansion, many having superluminal properties $|w|>1$ or violating the positive energy condition. It is shown that energy density due to the world-volume fields is nicely incorporated into the picture. It is also pointed out that the initial singularity problem is naturally resolved in this context.Comment: JHEP LateX, 20 pages, no figures;v2 references added and a few minor changes; (v3) Corrected an inconsequential error in eq. 6.2, 6.3. We thank D. Kutasov for bringing this to our attention (v4) Corrected inconsequential errors in (4.4)-(4.7) and (5.11). We thank A. Psinas for bringing them to our attentio