9,145 research outputs found
Stable non-BPS states in string theory: a pedagogical review
We present a pedagogical review of the stable non-BPS states in string theory
which have recently attracted some attention in the literature. In particular,
following the analysis of A. Sen, we discuss in detail the case of the stable
non-BPS D-particle of Type I theory whose existence is predicted (and required)
by the heterotic/Type I duality. We show that this D-particle originates from
an unstable bound state formed by a D1/anti-D1 pair of Type IIB in which the
tachyon field acquires a solitonic kink configuration. The mechanism of tachyon
condensation is discussed first at a qualitative level and then with an exact
conformal field theory analysis.Comment: 58 pages, 1 figure; minor correction
Near zero modes in condensate phases of the Dirac theory on the honeycomb lattice
We investigate a number of fermionic condensate phases on the honeycomb
lattice, to determine whether topological defects (vortices and edges) in these
phases can support bound states with zero energy. We argue that topological
zero modes bound to vortices and at edges are not only connected, but should in
fact be \emph{identified}. Recently, it has been shown that the simplest s-wave
superconducting state for the Dirac fermion approximation of the honeycomb
lattice at precisely half filling, supports zero modes inside the cores of
vortices (P. Ghaemi and F. Wilczek, 2007). We find that within the continuum
Dirac theory the zero modes are not unique neither to this phase, nor to half
filling. In addition, we find the \emph{exact} wavefunctions for vortex bound
zero modes, as well as the complete edge state spectrum of the phases we
discuss. The zero modes in all the phases we examine have even-numbered
degeneracy, and as such pairs of any Majorana modes are simply equivalent to
one ordinary fermion. As a result, contrary to bound state zero modes in superconductors, vortices here do \emph{not} exhibit non-Abelian exchange
statistics. The zero modes in the pure Dirac theory are seemingly topologically
protected by the effective low energy symmetry of the theory, yet on the
original honeycomb lattice model these zero modes are split, by explicit
breaking of the effective low energy symmetry.Comment: Final version including numerics, accepted for publication in PR
Winding effects on brane/anti-brane pairs
We study a brane/anti-brane configuration which is separated along a compact
direction by constructing a tachyon effective action which takes into account
transverse scalars. Such an action is relevant in the study of HQCD model of
Sakai and Sugimoto of chiral symmetry breaking, where the size of the compact
circle sets the confinement scale. Our approach is motivated by string theory
orbifold constructions and gives a route to model inhomogeneous tachyon decay.
We illustrate the techniques involved with a relatively simple example of a
harmonic oscillator on a circle. We will then repeat the analysis for the
Sakai-Sugimoto model and show that by integrating out the winding modes will
provide us with a renormalized action with a lower energy than that of
truncating to zero winding sector.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures. v3: discussion and references added, published
versio
Exactly stable non-BPS spinors in heterotic string theory on tori
Considering SO(32) heterotic string theory compactified on a torus of
dimension 4 and less, stability of non-supersymmetric states is studied. A
non-supersymmetric state with robust stability is constructed, and its exact
stability is proven in a large region of moduli space against all the possible
decay mechanisms allowed by charge conservation. Using various T-duality
transform matrices, we translate various selection rules about conserved
charges into simpler problems resembling partition and parity of integers. For
heterotic string on T^4, we give a complete list of BPS atoms with elementary
excitations, and we study BPS and non-BPS molecules with various binding
energies. Using string-string duality, the results are interpreted in terms of
Dirichlet-branes in type IIA string theory compactified on an orbifold limit of
a K3 surface.Comment: 47 pages, 14 figures, LaTe
Slow Dynamics in Glasses
Minimalist theories of complex systems are broadly of two kinds: mean-field
and axiomatic. So far all theories of complex properties absent from simple
systems and intrinsic to glasses are axiomatic. Stretched Exponential
Relaxation (SER) is the prototypical complex temporal property of glasses,
discovered by Kohlrausch 150 years ago, and now observed almost universally in
microscopically homogeneous, complex non-equilibrium materials, including
luminescent electronic (Coulomb) glasses. Critical comparison of alternative
axiomatic theories with both numerical simulations and experiments strongly
favors dynamical trap models over static percolative or energy landscape
models.
PACS: 61.20.Lc; 67.40.F
Algebraic Geometry Realization of Quantum Hall Soliton
Using Iqbal-Netzike-Vafa dictionary giving the correspondence between the
H homology of del Pezzo surfaces and p-branes, we develop a new way to
approach system of brane bounds in M-theory on . We first
review the structure of ten dimensional quantum Hall soliton (QHS) from the
view of M-theory on . Then, we show how the D0 dissolution in
D2-brane is realized in M-theory language and derive the p-brane constraint eqs
used to define appropriately QHS. Finally, we build an algebraic geometry
realization of the QHS in type IIA superstring and show how to get its type IIB
dual. Others aspects are also discussed.
Keywords: Branes Physics, Algebraic Geometry, Homology of Curves in Del Pezzo
surfaces, Quantum Hall Solitons.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figure
Holographic U(1)_A and String Creation
We analyze the resolution of the U(1)_A problem in the Sakai-Sugimoto
holographic dual of large N_c QCD at finite temperature. It has been shown that
in the confining phase the axial symmetry is broken at order 1/N_c, in
agreement with the ideas of Witten and Veneziano. We show that in the
deconfined phase the axial symmetry remains unbroken to all orders in 1/N_c. In
this case the breaking is due to instantons which are described by spacelike
D0-branes, in agreement with 'tHooft's resolution. The holographic dual of the
symmetry breaking fermion condensate is a state of spacelike strings between
the D0-brane and the flavor D8-branes, which result from a spacelike version of
the string creation effect. In the intermediate phase of deconfinement with
broken chiral symmetry the instanton gas approximation is possibly regulated in
the IR, which would imply an eta' mass-squared of order exp(-N_c).Comment: 18 pages, 19 figures, minor change
Closed Bosonic String Partition Function in Time Independent Exact PP-Wave Background
The modular invariance of the one-loop partition function of the closed
bosonic string in four dimensions in the presence of certain homogeneous exact
pp-wave backgrounds is studied. In the absence of an axion field the partition
function is found to be modular invariant. In the presence of an axion field
modular invariace is broken. This can be attributed to the light-cone gauge
which breaks the symmetry in the -, -directions. Recovery of this
broken modular invariance suggests the introduction of twists in the
world-sheet directions. However, one needs to go beyond the light-cone gauge to
introduce such twists.Comment: 17 pages, added reference
High volumetric capacitance near insulator-metal percolation transition
A new type of a capacitor with a very high volumetric capacitance is
proposed. It is based upon the known phenomenon of a sharp increase of the
dielectric constant of the metal-insulator composite in the vicinity of the
percolation threshold, but still on the insulator side. The optimization
suggests that the metallic particles should be of nanoscale and that the
distance between planar electrodes should be somewhat larger than the
correlation length of the percolation theory and 10 to 20 times larger than the
size of the particles while the area of the electrodes might be unlimited. The
random electric field in the capacitors is found to be larger than the average
field corresponding to the potential difference of electrodes. This random
field is potentially responsible for dielectric breakdown. The estimated
breakdown voltage of the new capacitor shows that the stored energy density
might be significantly larger than that of electrolytic capacitors while the
volumetric capacitances might be comparable. The charging and discharging times
should be significantly smaller than corresponding times of batteries and even
electrolytic capacitors.Comment: 10 pages 1 EPS figur
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