Language of Lullabies: The Russification and De-Russification of the Baltic States

This article argues that the laws for promotion of the national languages are a legitimate means for the Baltic states to establish their cultural independence from Russia and the former Soviet Union

Yang--Mills sphalerons in all even spacetime dimensions d=2kd=2k, k>2k>2 : kk=3,4

The classical solutions to higher dimensional Yang--Mills (YM) systems, which are integral parts of higher dimensional Einstein--YM (EYM) systems, are studied. These are the gravity decoupling limits of the fully gravitating EYM solutions. In odd spacetime dimensions, depending on the choice of gauge group, these are either topologically stable or unstable. Both cases are analysed, the latter numerically only. In even spacetime dimensions they are always unstable, describing saddle points of the energy, and can be described as {\it sphalerons}. This instability is analysed by constructing the noncontractible loops and calculating the Chern--Simons (CS) charges, and also perturbatively by numerically constructing the negative modes. This study is restricted to the simplest YM system in spacetime dimensions $d=6,7,8$, which is amply illustrative of the generic case.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures ; comments added, to appear in J. Phys.

Derivative corrections to the Born-Infeld action through beta-function calculations in N=2 boundary superspace

We calculate the beta-functions for an open string sigma-model in the presence of a U(1) background. Passing to N=2 boundary superspace, in which the background is fully characterized by a scalar potential, significantly facilitates the calculation. Performing the calculation through three loops yields the equations of motion up to five derivatives on the fieldstrengths, which upon integration gives the bosonic sector of the effective action for a single D-brane in trivial bulk background fields through four derivatives and to all orders in alpha'. Finally, the present calculation shows that demanding ultra-violet finiteness of the non-linear sigma-model can be reformulated as the requirement that the background is a deformed stable holomorphic U(1) bundle.Comment: 25 pages, numerous figure

The Grounds and Extent of Legal Responsibility

To question that is the title of this symposium, What Do Compensatory Damages Compensate?, requires consideration of the basic grounds and purposes of legal responsibility. The question is usefully brought into sharper focus by the specific questions and puzzles posed to the contributors to stimulate thought and discussion

Chiral bosonization for non-commutative fields

A model of chiral bosons on a non-commutative field space is constructed and new generalized bosonization (fermionization) rules for these fields are given. The conformal structure of the theory is characterized by a level of the Kac-Moody algebra equal to $(1+ \theta^2)$ where $\theta$ is the non-commutativity parameter and chiral bosons living in a non-commutative fields space are described by a rational conformal field theory with the central charge of the Virasoro algebra equal to 1. The non-commutative chiral bosons are shown to correspond to a free fermion moving with a speed equal to $c^{\prime} = c \sqrt{1+\theta^2}$ where $c$ is the speed of light. Lorentz invariance remains intact if $c$ is rescaled by $c \to c^{\prime}$. The dispersion relation for bosons and fermions, in this case, is given by $\omega = c^{\prime} | k|$.Comment: 16 pages, JHEP style, version published in JHE

CPT and Other Symmetries in String/M Theory

We initiate a search for non-perturbative consistency conditions in M theory. Some non-perturbative conditions are already known in Type I theories; we review these and search for others. We focus principally on possible anomalies in discrete symmetries. It is generally believed that discrete symmetries in string theories are gauge symmetries, so anomalies would provide evidence for inconsistencies. Using the orbifold cosmic string construction, we give some evidence that the symmetries we study are gauged. We then search for anomalies in discrete symmetries in a variety of models, both with and without supersymmetry. In symmetric orbifold models we extend previous searches, and show in a variety of examples that all anomalies may be canceled by a Green-Schwarz mechanism. We explore some asymmetric orbifold constructions and again find that all anomalies may be canceled this way. Then we turn to Type IIB orientifold models where it is known that even perturbative anomalies are non-universal. In the examples we study, by combining geometric discrete symmetries with continuous gauge symmetries, one may define non-anomalous discrete symmetries already in perturbation theory; in other cases, the anomalies are universal. Finally, we turn to the question of CPT conservation in string/M theory. It is well known that CPT is conserved in all string perturbation expansions; here in a number of examples for which a non-perturbative formulation is available we provide evidence that it is conserved exactly.Comment: 52 pages.1 paragraph added in introduction to clarify assumption

A Field Range Bound for General Single-Field Inflation

We explore the consequences of a detection of primordial tensor fluctuations for general single-field models of inflation. Using the effective theory of inflation, we propose a generalization of the Lyth bound. Our bound applies to all single-field models with two-derivative kinetic terms for the scalar fluctuations and is always stronger than the corresponding bound for slow-roll models. This shows that non-trivial dynamics can't evade the Lyth bound. We also present a weaker, but completely universal bound that holds whenever the Null Energy Condition (NEC) is satisfied at horizon crossing.Comment: 16 page

Gauge thresholds in the presence of oblique magnetic fluxes

We compute the one-loop partition function and analyze the conditions for tadpole cancellation in type I theories compactified on tori in the presence of internal oblique magnetic fields. We check open - closed string channel duality and discuss the effect of T-duality. We address the issue of the quantum consistency of the toroidal model with stabilized moduli recently proposed by Antoniadis and Maillard (AM). We then pass to describe the computation of one-loop threshold corrections to the gauge couplings in models of this kind. Finally we briefly comment on coupling unification and dilaton stabilization in phenomenologically more viable modelsComment: 34 pages, 2 figures; references added, major changes to the discussion of the model proposed by Antoniadis and Maillar