The Topology of Double Field Theory

We describe the doubled space of Double Field Theory as a group manifold $G$ with an arbitrary generalized metric. Local information from the latter is not relevant to our discussion and so $G$ only captures the topology of the doubled space. Strong Constraint solutions are maximal isotropic submanifold $M$ in $G$. We construct them and their Generalized Geometry in Double Field Theory on Group Manifolds. In general, $G$ admits different physical subspace $M$ which are Poisson-Lie T-dual to each other. By studying two examples, we reproduce the topology changes induced by T-duality with non-trivial $H$-flux which were discussed by Bouwknegt, Evslin and Mathai [hep-th/0306062].Comment: 37 pages, 1 figure, published versio

Consistent Compactification of Double Field Theory on Non-geometric Flux Backgrounds

In this paper, we construct non-trivial solutions to the $2D$-dimensional field equations of Double Field Theory (DFT) by using a consistent Scherk-Schwarz ansatz. The ansatz identifies $2(D-d)$ internal directions with a twist $U^M{}_N$ which is directly connected to the covariant fluxes $\mathcal{F}_{ABC}$. It exhibits $2(D-d)$ linear independent generalized Killing vectors $K_I{}^J$ and gives rise to a gauged supergravity in $d$ dimensions. We analyze the covariant fluxes and the corresponding gauged supergravity with a Minkowski vacuum. We calculate fluctuations around such vacua and show how they gives rise to massive scalars field and vectors field with a non-abelian gauge algebra. Because DFT is a background independent theory, these fields should directly correspond the string excitations in the corresponding background. For $(D-d)=3$ we perform a complete scan of all allowed covariant fluxes and find two different kinds of backgrounds: the single and the double elliptic case. The later is not T-dual to a geometric background and cannot be transformed to a geometric setting by a field redefinition either. While this background fulfills the strong constraint, it is still consistent with the Killing vectors depending on the coordinates and the winding coordinates, thereby giving a non-geometric patching. This background can therefore not be described in Supergravity or Generalized Geometry.Comment: 44 pages, 3 tables, references added, typos correcte

On Inflation and de Sitter in Non-Geometric String Backgrounds

We study the problem of obtaining de Sitter and inflationary vacua from dimensional reduction of double field theory (DFT) on nongeometric string backgrounds. In this context, we consider a new class of effective potentials that admit Minkowski and de Sitter minima. We then construct a simple model of chaotic inflation arising from T-fold backgrounds and we discuss the possibility of trans-Planckian field range from nongeometric monodromies as well as the conditions required to get slow roll.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures, references added, typos corrected, note adde

Double Field Theory on Group Manifolds (Thesis)

This thesis deals with Double Field Theory (DFT), an effective field theory capturing the low energy dynamics of closed strings on a torus. It renders T-duality on a torus manifest by adding $D$ winding coordinates in addition to the $D$ space time coordinates. An essential consistency constraint of the theory, the strong constraint, only allows for field configurations which depend on half of the coordinates of the arising doubled space. I derive DFT${}_\mathrm{WZW}$, a generalization of the current formalism. It captures the low energy dynamics of a closed bosonic string propagating on a compact group manifold. Its classical action and the corresponding gauge transformations arise from Closed String Field Theory up to cubic order in the massless fields. These results are rewritten in terms of a generalized metric and extended to all orders in the fields. There is an explicit distinction between background and fluctuations. For the gauge algebra to close, the latter have to fulfill a modified strong constraint, while for the former the weaker closure constraint is sufficient. Besides the generalized diffeomorphism invariance known from the original formulation, DFT${}_\mathrm{WZW}$ is invariant under standard diffeomorphisms of the doubled space. They are broken by imposing the totally optional extended strong constraint. In doing so, the original formulation is restored. A flux formulation for the new theory is derived and its connection to generalized Scherk-Schwarz compactifications is discussed. Further, a possible tree-level uplift of a genuinely non-geometric background (not T-dual to any geometric configuration) is presented. Finally, a long standing problem, the missing of a prescription to construct the twist in generalized Scherk-Schwarz compactifications, is solved. Altogether, a more general picture of DFT and the structures it is based on emerges.Comment: PhD Thesis, 142 pages, 7 figure

Flux Formulation of DFT on Group Manifolds and Generalized Scherk-Schwarz Compactifications

A flux formulation of Double Field Theory on group manifold is derived and applied to study generalized Scherk-Schwarz compactifications, which give rise to a bosonic subsector of half-maximal, electrically gauged supergravities. In contrast to the flux formulation of original DFT, the covariant fluxes split into a fluctuation and a background part. The latter is connected to a $2D$-dimensional, pseudo Riemannian manifold, which is isomorphic to a Lie group embedded into O($D,D$). All fields and parameters of generalized diffeomorphisms are supported on this manifold, whose metric is spanned by the background vielbein $E_A{}^I \in$ GL($2D$). This vielbein takes the role of the twist in conventional generalized Scherk-Schwarz compactifications. By doing so, it solves the long standing problem of constructing an appropriate twist for each solution of the embedding tensor. Using the geometric structure, absent in original DFT, $E_A{}^I$ is identified with the left invariant Maurer-Cartan form on the group manifold, in the same way as it is done in geometric Scherk-Schwarz reductions. We show in detail how the Maurer-Cartan form for semisimple and solvable Lie groups is constructed starting from the Lie algebra. For all compact embeddings in O($3,3$), we calculate $E_A{}^I$.Comment: 40 pages, no figures, minor changes, published versio