339 research outputs found
Towards reduction of type II theories on SU(3) structure manifolds
We revisit the reduction of type II supergravity on SU(3) structure
manifolds, conjectured to lead to gauged N=2 supergravity in 4 dimensions. The
reduction proceeds by expanding the invariant 2- and 3-forms of the SU(3)
structure as well as the gauge potentials of the type II theory in the same set
of forms, the analogues of harmonic forms in the case of Calabi-Yau reductions.
By focussing on the metric sector, we arrive at a list of constraints these
expansion forms should satisfy to yield a base point independent reduction.
Identifying these constraints is a first step towards a first-principles
reduction of type II on SU(3) structure manifolds.Comment: 20 pages; v2: condition (2.13old) on expansion forms weakened,
replaced by (2.13new), (2.14new
Heterotic-type IIA duality with fluxes
In this paper we study a possible non-perturbative dual of the heterotic
string compactified on K3 x T^2 in the presence of background fluxes. We show
that type IIA string theory compactified on manifolds with SU(3) structure can
account for a subset of the possible heterotic fluxes. This extends our
previous analysis to a case of a non-perturbative duality with fluxes.Comment: 26 pages, minor corrections; version to appear in JHE
Area metric gravity and accelerating cosmology
Area metric manifolds emerge as effective classical backgrounds in quantum
string theory and quantum gauge theory, and present a true generalization of
metric geometry. Here, we consider area metric manifolds in their own right,
and develop in detail the foundations of area metric differential geometry.
Based on the construction of an area metric curvature scalar, which reduces in
the metric-induced case to the Ricci scalar, we re-interpret the
Einstein-Hilbert action as dynamics for an area metric spacetime. In contrast
to modifications of general relativity based on metric geometry, no continuous
deformation scale needs to be introduced; the extension to area geometry is
purely structural and thus rigid. We present an intriguing prediction of area
metric gravity: without dark energy or fine-tuning, the late universe exhibits
a small acceleration.Comment: 52 pages, 1 figure, companion paper to hep-th/061213
The polarization of F1 strings into D2 branes: "Aut Caesar aut nihil"
We give matrix and supergravity descriptions of type IIA F-strings polarizing
into cylindrical D2 branes. When a RR four-form field strength F_4 is turned on
in a supersymmetric fashion (with 4 supercharges), a complete analysis of the
solutions reveals the existence of a moduli space of F1 -> D2 polarizations
(Caesar) for some fractional strengths of the perturbation, and of no
polarization whatsoever (nihil) for all other strengths of the perturbation.
This is a very intriguing phenomenon, whose physical implications we can only
speculate about. In the matrix description of the polarization we use the
Non-Abelian Born-Infeld action in an extreme regime, where the commutators of
the fields are much larger than 1. The validity of the results we obtain,
provides a direct confirmation of this action, although is does not confirm or
disprove the symmetrized trace prescription.Comment: 14 page
Chaos and Preheating
We show evidence for a relationship between chaos and parametric resonance
both in a classical system and in the semiclassical process of particle
creation. We apply our considerations in a toy model for preheating after
inflation.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures; uses epsfig and revtex v3.1. Matches version
accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
T-duality and Generalized Kahler Geometry
We use newly discovered N = (2, 2) vector multiplets to clarify T-dualities
for generalized Kahler geometries. Following the usual procedure, we gauge
isometries of nonlinear sigma-models and introduce Lagrange multipliers that
constrain the field-strengths of the gauge fields to vanish. Integrating out
the Lagrange multipliers leads to the original action, whereas integrating out
the vector multiplets gives the dual action. The description is given both in N
= (2, 2) and N = (1, 1) superspace.Comment: 14 pages; published version: some conventions improved, minor
clarification
String Cosmology: A Review
We give an overview of the status of string cosmology. We explain the
motivation for the subject, outline the main problems, and assess some of the
proposed solutions. Our focus is on those aspects of cosmology that benefit
from the structure of an ultraviolet-complete theory.Comment: 55 pages. v2: references adde
Lectures on Nongeometric Flux Compactifications
These notes present a pedagogical review of nongeometric flux
compactifications. We begin by reviewing well-known geometric flux
compactifications in Type II string theory, and argue that one must include
nongeometric "fluxes" in order to have a superpotential which is invariant
under T-duality. Additionally, we discuss some elementary aspects of the
worldsheet description of nongeometric backgrounds. This review is based on
lectures given at the 2007 RTN Winter School at CERN.Comment: 31 pages, JHEP
Classification of non-Riemannian doubled-yet-gauged spacetime
Assuming covariant fields as the `fundamental' variables,
Double Field Theory can accommodate novel geometries where a Riemannian metric
cannot be defined, even locally. Here we present a complete classification of
such non-Riemannian spacetimes in terms of two non-negative integers,
, . Upon these backgrounds, strings become
chiral and anti-chiral over and directions respectively, while
particles and strings are frozen over the directions. In
particular, we identify as Riemannian manifolds, as
non-relativistic spacetime, as Gomis-Ooguri non-relativistic string,
as ultra-relativistic Carroll geometry, and as Siegel's
chiral string. Combined with a covariant Kaluza-Klein ansatz which we further
spell, leads to Newton-Cartan gravity. Alternative to the conventional
string compactifications on small manifolds, non-Riemannian spacetime such as
, may open a new scheme of the dimensional reduction from ten to
four.Comment: 1+41 pages; v2) Refs added; v3) Published version; v4) Sign error in
(2.51) correcte
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