Loop Variables and Gauge Invariance in (Open) Bosonic String Theory

We give a simplified and more complete description of the loop variable approach for writing down gauge invariant equations of motion for the fields of the open string. A simple proof of gauge invariance to all orders is given. In terms of loop variables, the interacting equations look exactly like the free equations, but with a loop variable depending on an extra parameter, thus making it a band of finite width. The arguments for gauge invariance work exactly as in the free case. We show that these equations are Wilsonian RG equations with a finite world-sheet cutoff and that in the infrared limit, equivalence with the Callan-Symanzik $\beta$-functions should ensure that they reproduce the on-shell scattering amplitudes in string theory. It is applied to the tachyon-photon system and the general arguments for gauge invariance can be easily checked to the order calculated. One can see that when there is a finite world sheet cutoff in place, even the U(1) invariance of the equations for the photon, involves massive mode contributions. A field redefinition involving the tachyon is required to get the gauge transformations of the photon into standard form.Comment: 20 pages, Late

Diagrammatic analysis of some contributions to the ΔI = 1/2 rule

Higher-order gluon corrections to a particular mechanism for the ΔI=1/2 rule are computed using quantum chromodynamics. It is found that due to gauge invariance these corrections leave the form of the lowest-order result essentially unchange

g-function in perturbation theory

We present some explicit computations checking a particular form of gradient formula for a boundary beta function in two-dimensional quantum field theory on a disc. The form of the potential function and metric that we consider were introduced in hep-th/9210065, hep-th/9311177 in the context of background independent open string field theory. We check the gradient formula to the third order in perturbation theory around a fixed point. Special consideration is given to situations when resonant terms are present exhibiting logarithmic divergences and universal nonlinearities in beta functions. The gradient formula is found to work to the given order.Comment: 1+14 pages, Latex; v.2: typos corrected; v.3: minor corrections, to appear in IJM

Holographic Dual of BCFT

We propose a holographic dual of a conformal field theory defined on a manifold with boundaries, i.e. boundary conformal field theory (BCFT). Our new holography, which may be called AdS/BCFT, successfully calculates the boundary entropy or g-function in two dimensional BCFTs and it agrees with the finite part of the holographic entanglement entropy. Moreover, we can naturally derive a holographic g-theorem. We also analyze the holographic dual of an interval at finite temperature and show that there is a first order phase transition.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figs, a reference added, typos corrected, to be published in PR

Distortion of Schwarzschild-anti-de Sitter black holes to black strings

Motivated by the existence of black holes with various topologies in four-dimensional spacetimes with a negative cosmological constant, we study axisymmetric static solutions describing any large distortions of Schwarzschild-anti-de Sitter black holes parametrized by the mass $m$. Under the approximation such that $m$ is much larger than the anti-de Sitter radius, it is found that a cylindrically symmetric black string is obtained as a special limit of distorted spherical black holes. Such a prolonged distortion of the event horizon connecting a Schwarzschild-anti-de Sitter black hole to a black string is allowed without violating both the usual black hole thermodynamics and the hoop conjecture for the horizon circumference.Comment: 13 pages, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Thermodynamics and Stability of Higher Dimensional Rotating (Kerr) AdS Black Holes

We study the thermodynamic and gravitational stability of Kerr anti-de Sitter black holes in five and higher dimensions. We show, in the case of equal rotation parameters, $a_i=a$, that the Kerr-AdS background metrics become stable, both thermodynamically and gravitationally, when the rotation parameters $a_i$ take values comparable to the AdS curvature radius. In turn, a Kerr-AdS black hole can be in thermal equilibrium with the thermal radiation around it only when the rotation parameters become not significantly smaller than the AdS curvature radius. We also find with equal rotation parameters that a Kerr-AdS black hole is thermodynamically favored against the existence of a thermal AdS space, while the opposite behavior is observed in the case of a single non-zero rotation parameter. The five dimensional case is however different and also special in that there is no high temperature thermal AdS phase regardless of the choice of rotation parameters. We also verify that at fixed entropy, the temperature of a rotating black hole is always bounded above by that of a non-rotating black hole, in four and five dimensions, but not in six and more dimensions (especially, when the entropy approaches zero or the minimum of entropy does not correspond to the minimum of temperature). In this last context, the six dimensional case is marginal.Comment: 15 pages, 23 eps figures, RevTex

On the Problems with Background Independence in String Theory

The problems with background independence are discussed in the example of open string theory. Based on the recent proposal by Witten I calculate the String Field Theory action in conformal perturbation theory to second order and demonstrate that the proper treatment of contact terms leads to nontrivial equations of motion. I conjecture the form of the field theory action to all orders.Comment: 15p., Preprint IASSNS-HEP-93/6

Thermodynamics of Rotating Charged Black Branes in Third Order Lovelock Gravity and the Counterterm Method

We generalize the quasilocal definition of the stress energy tensor of Einstein gravity to the case of third order Lovelock gravity, by introducing the surface terms that make the action well-defined. We also introduce the boundary counterterm that removes the divergences of the action and the conserved quantities of the solutions of third order Lovelock gravity with zero curvature boundary at constant $t$ and $r$. Then, we compute the charged rotating solutions of this theory in $n+1$ dimensions with a complete set of allowed rotation parameters. These charged rotating solutions present black hole solutions with two inner and outer event horizons, extreme black holes or naked singularities provided the parameters of the solutions are chosen suitable. We compute temperature, entropy, charge, electric potential, mass and angular momenta of the black hole solutions, and find that these quantities satisfy the first law of thermodynamics. We find a Smarr-type formula and perform a stability analysis by computing the heat capacity and the determinant of Hessian matrix of mass with respect to its thermodynamic variables in both the canonical and the grand-canonical ensembles, and show that the system is thermally stable. This is commensurate with the fact that there is no Hawking-Page phase transition for black objects with zero curvature horizon.Comment: 19 pages, 1 figure, a few references added, typos correcte

Decay widths of large-spin mesons from the non-critical string/gauge duality

In this paper, we use the non-critical string/gauge duality to calculate the decay widths of large-spin mesons. Since it is believed that the string theory of QCD is not a ten dimensional theory, we expect that the non-critical versions of ten dimensional black hole backgrounds lead to better results than the critical ones. For this purpose we concentrate on the confining theories and consider two different six dimensional black hole backgrounds. We choose the near extremal AdS6 model and the near extremal KM model to compute the decay widths of large-spin mesons. Then, we present our results from these two non-critical backgrounds and compare them together with those from the critical models and experimental data.Comment: 21 pages and 3 figure

The basic cohomology of the twisted N=16, D=2 super Maxwell theory

We consider a recently proposed two-dimensional Abelian model for a Hodge theory, which is neither a Witten type nor a Schwarz type topological theory. It is argued that this model is not a good candidate for a Hodge theory since, on-shell, the BRST Laplacian vanishes. We show, that this model allows for a natural extension such that the resulting topological theory is of Witten type and can be identified with the twisted N=16, D=2 super Maxwell theory. Furthermore, the underlying basic cohomology preserves the Hodge-type structure and, on-shell, the BRST Laplacian does not vanish.Comment: 9 pages, Latex; new Section 4 showing the invariants added; 2 references and relating remarks adde