10 research outputs found
Orientifolds and the Refined Topological String
We study refined topological string theory in the presence of orientifolds by
counting second-quantized BPS states in M-theory. This leads us to propose a
new integrality condition for both refined and unrefined topological strings
when orientifolds are present. We define the SO(2N) refined Chern-Simons theory
which computes refined open string amplitudes for branes wrapping Seifert
three-manifolds. We use the SO(2N) refined Chern-Simons theory to compute new
invariants of torus knots that generalize the Kauffman polynomials. At large N,
the SO(2N) refined Chern-Simons theory on the three-sphere is dual to refined
topological strings on an orientifold of the resolved conifold, generalizing
the Gopakumar-Sinha-Vafa duality. Finally, we use the (2,0) theory to define
and solve refined Chern-Simons theory for all ADE gauge groups
Lectures on on Black Holes, Topological Strings and Quantum Attractors (2.0)
In these lecture notes, we review some recent developments on the relation
between the macroscopic entropy of four-dimensional BPS black holes and the
microscopic counting of states, beyond the thermodynamical, large charge limit.
After a brief overview of charged black holes in supergravity and string
theory, we give an extensive introduction to special and very special geometry,
attractor flows and topological string theory, including holomorphic anomalies.
We then expose the Ooguri-Strominger-Vafa (OSV) conjecture which relates
microscopic degeneracies to the topological string amplitude, and review
precision tests of this formula on ``small'' black holes. Finally, motivated by
a holographic interpretation of the OSV conjecture, we give a systematic
approach to the radial quantization of BPS black holes (i.e. quantum
attractors). This suggests the existence of a one-parameter generalization of
the topological string amplitude, and provides a general framework for
constructing automorphic partition functions for black hole degeneracies in
theories with sufficient degree of symmetry.Comment: 103 pages, 8 figures, 21 exercises, uses JHEP3.cls; v5: important
upgrade, prepared for the proceedings of Frascati School on Attractor
Mechanism; Sec 7 was largely rewritten to incorporate recent progress; more
figures, more refs, and minor changes in abstract and introductio