S and U-duality Constraints on IIB S-matrices

S and U-duality dictate that graviton scattering amplitudes in IIB superstring theory be automorphic functions on the appropriate fundamental domain which describe the inequivalent vacua of (compactified) theories. A constrained functional form of graviton scattering is proposed using Eisenstein series and their generalizations compatible with: a) two-loop supergravity, b) genus one superstring theory, c) the perturbative coupling dependence of the superstring, and d) with the unitarity structure of the massless modes. The form has a perturbative truncation in the genus expansion at a given order in the derivative expansion. Comparisons between graviton scattering S-matrices and effective actions for the first quantized superstring are made at the quantum level. Possible extended finiteness properties of maximally extended quantum supergravity theories in different dimensions is implied by the perturbative truncation of the functional form of graviton scattering in IIB superstring theory.Comment: 36 pages, 5 figures, LaTeX, (minor) eq. corr., to appear in NP

Effects of D-instantons in string amplitudes

We investigate the different energy regimes in the conjectured SL(2,Z) invariant four graviton scattering amplitude that incorporates D-instanton contributions in 10d type IIB superstring theory. We show that the infinite product over SL(2,Z) rotations is convergent in the whole complex plane s,t. For high energies s>> 1, fixed scattering angle, and very weak coupling g<< 1/s, the four-graviton amplitude exhibits the usual exponential suppression. As the energy approaches 1/g, the suppression gradually diminishes until there appears a strong amplification near a new pole coming from the exchange of a (p,q) string. At energies s<< 1/\sqrt{g}, the pure D instanton contribution to the scattering amplitude is found to produce a factor $A_4^{Dinst}\cong \exp (c g^{3/2}e^{-{2\pi\over g}} s^3)$. At energies $1/\sqrt{g} << s<< 1/g$, the D-instanton factor becomes $A_4^{Dinst}\cong \exp (2 e^{-{2\pi\over g_s}+\pi g_s s^2})$. At higher energies s>> 1/g the D-instanton contribution becomes very important, and one finds an oscillatory behavior which alternates suppression and amplification. This suggests that non-perturbative effects can lead to a high-energy behavior which is significantly different from the perturbative string behavior.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

More on the scalar-tensor B-F theory

This work is based on an earlier proposal \cite{hs} that the membrane B-F theory consists of matter fields alongwith Chern-Simons fields as well as the auxiliary pairs of scalar and tensor fields. We especially discuss the supersymmetry aspects of such a membrane theory. It is concluded that the theory possesses maximal supersymmetry and it is related to the L-BLG theory via a field map. We obtain fuzzy-sphere solution and corresponding tensor field configuration is given.Comment: 19 pages; v2 typo corrected and more reference

Anomaly cancellation in M-theory

We show the complete cancellation of gauge and gravitational anomalies in the M-theory of Horava and Witten using their boundary contribution, and a term coming from the existence of two and five-branes. A factor of three discrepancy noted in an earlier work is resolved. We end with a comment on flux quantization.Comment: 5 pages, Latex, typos corrected, minor notation change in eq. (0.7). Version to be published in Phys. Lett.

BPS Amplitudes, Helicity Supertraces and Membranes in M-Theory

We study BPS dominated loop amplitudes in M-theory on T^2. For this purpose we generalize the concept of helicity supertraces to nine spacetime dimensions. These traces distinguish between various massive supermultiplets and appear as coefficients in their one-loop contributions to n-graviton scattering amplitudes. This can be used to show that only ultrashort BPS multiplets contribute to the R^4 term in the effective action, which was first computed by Green, Gutperle and Vanhove. There are two inequivalent ultrashort BPS multiplets which describe the Kaluza-Klein states and the wrapped membranes that cover the torus a number of times. From the perspective of the type-II strings they correspond to momentum and winding states and D0 or D1 branes.Comment: 15 page

On the blocks of semisimple algebraic groups and associated generalized Schur algebras

In this paper we give a new proof for the description of the blocks of any semisimple simply connected algebraic group when the characteristic of the field is greater than 5. The first proof was given by Donkin and works in arbitrary characteristic. Our new proof has two advantages. First we obtain a bound on the length of a minimum chain linking two weights in the same block. Second we obtain a sufficient condition on saturated subsets π of the set of dominant weights which ensures that the blocks of the associated generalized Schur algebra are simply the intersection of the blocks of the algebraic group with the set π. However, we show that this is not the case in general for the symplectic Schur algebras, disproving a conjecture of Renner

One-loop four-graviton amplitude in eleven-dimensional supergravity

We find explicit expression for the one-loop four-graviton amplitude in eleven-dimensional supergravity compactified on a circle. Represented in terms of the string coupling (related to the compactification radius) it takes the form of an infinite sum of perturbative string loop corrections. We also compute the amplitude in the case of compactification on a 2-torus which is given by an SL(2,Z) invariant expansion in powers of the torus area. We discuss the structure of quantum corrections in eleven-dimensional theory and their relation to string theory.Comment: 14 pages, harvmac. Remarks on the amplitude in uncompactified D=11 space and on explicit structure of R^4 terms adde

Path Integral Equivalence between Super D-string and IIB Superstring

We show that the super D-string action is exactly equivalent to the IIB Green-Schwarz superstring action with some "theta term" in terms of the path integral. Since the "theta term" imposes the Gauss law constraint on the physical state but contributes to neither the mass operator nor the constraints associated with the kappa symmetry and the reparametrization, this exact equivalence implies that the impossibility to disentangle the first and second class fermionic constraints covariantly in the super D-string action is generally inherited from the IIB Green-Schwarz superstring action except specific gauge choices which make the ground state massive, such as the static gauge. Moreover, it is shown that if the electric field is quantized to be integers, the super D-string action can be transformed to the IIB Green-Schwarz superstring action with $SL(2, Z)$ covariant tension.Comment: 9 pages, LaTex, replaced by a revised versio