NS fivebranes in type 0 string theory

The massless degrees of freedom of type 0 NS5-branes are derived. A non-chiral, purely bosonic spectrum is found in both type 0A and 0B. This non-chirality is confirmed by a one-loop computation in the bulk. Some puzzles concerning type 0B S-duality are pointed out in this context. An interpretation of the spectra in terms of ``type 0 little strings'' is proposed.Comment: LaTeX, 12 pages, no figures; v3: section on S-duality revised, references added, to be published in JHE

Adiabaticity and emergence of classical space-time in time-dependent matrix theories

We discuss the low-curvature regime of time-dependent matrix theories proposed to describe non-perturbative quantum gravity in asymptotically plane-wave space-times. The emergence of near-classical space-time in this limit turns out to be closely linked to the adiabaticity of the matrix theory evolution. Supersymmetry restoration at low curvatures, which is crucial for the usual space-time interpretation of matrix theories, becomes an obvious feature of the adiabatic regime.Comment: 18 pages; v2: disclaimers and references added, version for publicatio

Quantum evolution across singularities

Attempts to consider evolution across space-time singularities often lead to quantum systems with time-dependent Hamiltonians developing an isolated singularity as a function of time. Examples include matrix theory in certain singular time-dependent backgounds and free quantum fields on the two-dimensional compactified Milne universe. Due to the presence of the singularities in the time dependence, the conventional quantum-mechanical evolution is not well-defined for such systems. We propose a natural way, mathematically analogous to renormalization in conventional quantum field theory, to construct unitary quantum evolution across the singularity. We carry out this procedure explicitly for free fields on the compactified Milne universe and compare our results with the matching conditions considered in earlier work (which were based on the covering Minkowski space).Comment: revised with an emphasis on local counterterm subtraction rather than analyticity; version to be submitted for publicatio

Strings in compact cosmological spaces

We confront the problem of giving a fundamental definition to perturbative string theory in spacetimes with totally compact space (taken to be a torus for simplicity, though the nature of the problem is very general) and non-compact time. Due to backreaction induced by the presence of even a single string quantum, the usual formulation of perturbative string theory in a fixed classical background is infrared-divergent at all subleading orders in the string coupling, and needs to be amended. The problem can be seen as a closed string analogue of D0-brane recoil under an impact by closed strings (a situation displaying extremely similar infrared divergences). Inspired by the collective coordinate treatment of the D0-brane recoil, whereby the translational modes of the D0-brane are introduced as explicit dynamical variables in the path integral, we construct a similar formalism for the case of string-induced gravitational backreaction, in which the spatially uniform modes of the background fields on the compact space are quantized explicitly. The formalism can equally well be seen as an ultraviolet completion of a minisuperspace quantum cosmology with string degrees of freedom. We consider the amplitudes for the universe to have two cross-sections with specified spatial properties and string contents, and show (at the first non-trivial order) that they are finite within our formalism.Comment: 37 pages, 4 figures; v2: cosmetic changes, published versio

On the Quantum Resolution of Cosmological Singularities using AdS/CFT

The AdS/CFT correspondence allows us to map a dynamical cosmology to a dual quantum field theory living on the boundary of spacetime. Specifically, we study a five-dimensional model cosmology in type IIB supergravity, where the dual theory is an unstable deformation of $\N=4$ supersymmetric SU(N) gauge theory on \Rbar\times S^3. A one-loop computation shows that the coupling governing the instability is asymptotically free, so quantum corrections cannot turn the potential around. The big crunch singularity in the bulk occurs when a boundary scalar field runs to infinity, in finite time. Consistent quantum evolution requires that we impose boundary conditions at infinite scalar field, i.e. a self-adjoint extension of the system. We find that quantum spreading of the homogeneous mode of the boundary scalar leads to a natural UV cutoff in particle production as the wavefunction for the homogeneous mode bounces back from infinity. However a perturbative calculation indicates that despite this, the logarithmic running of the boundary coupling governing the instability generally leads to significant particle production across the bounce. This prevents the wave packet of the homogeneous boundary scalar to return close to its initial form. Translating back to the bulk theory, we conclude that a quantum transition from a big crunch to a big bang is an improbable outcome of cosmological evolution in this class of five-dimensional models.Comment: 91 pages, 24 figures; v2: minor reorganization of introduction, clarifying comments throughout; 77 pages, 22 figures;v5: error corrected which significantly changes conclusio