Advances in String Theory in Curved Backgrounds: A Synthesis Report

A synthetic report of the advances in the study of classical and quantum string dynamics in curved backgrounds is provided, namely: the new feature of multistring solutions; the effect of a cosmological constant and of spacial curvature on classical and quantum strings; classical splitting of fundamental strings;the general string evolution in constant curvature spacetimes;the conformal invariant effects;strings on plane waves, shock waves and spacetime singularities and its spectrum. New developments in string gravity and string cosmology are reported: string driven cosmology and its predictions;the primordial gravitation wave background; non-singular string cosmologies from exact conformal field theories;QFT, string temperature and the string phase of de Sitter space; the string phase of black holes;new dual relation between QFT regimes and string regimes and the 'QFT/String Tango'; new coherent string states and minimal uncertainty principle in string theor

String Driven Cosmology and its Predictions

We present a minimal model for the Universe evolution fully extracted from effective String Theory. This model is by its construction close to the standard cosmological evolution, and it is driven selfconsistently by the evolution of the string equation of state itself. The inflationary String Driven stage is able to reach enough inflation, describing a Big Bang like evolution for the metric. By linking this model to a minimal but well established observational information, (the transition times of the different cosmological epochs), we prove that it gives realistic predictions on early and current energy density and its results are compatible with General Relativity. Interestingly enough, the predicted current energy density is found Omega = 1 and a lower limit Omega \geq 4/9 is also found. The energy density at the exit of the inflationary stage also gives | Omega |_{inf}=1. This result shows an agreement with General Relativity (spatially flat metric gives critical energy density) within an inequivalent Non-Einstenian context (string low energy effective equations). The order of magnitude of the energy density-dilaton coupled term at the beginning of the radiation dominated stage agrees with the GUT scale. The predicted graviton spectrum is computed and analyzed without any free parameters. Peaks and asymptotic behaviours of the spectrum are a direct consequence of the dilaton involved and not only of the scale factor evolution. Drastic changes are found at high frequencies: the dilaton produces an increasing spectrum (in no string cosmologies the spectrum is decreasing). Without solving the known problems about higher order corrections and graceful exit of inflation, we find this model closer to the observational Universe than the current available string cosmology scenarii.Comment: LaTex, 22 pages, Lectures delivered at the Chalonge School, Nato ASI: Phase Transitions in the Early Universe: Theory and Observations. To appear in the Proceedings, Editors H. J. de Vega, I. Khalatnikov, N. Sanchez. (Kluwer Pub

Simulating multiple quantum well solar cells

The quantum well solar cell (QWSC) has been proposed as a route to higher efficiency than that attainable by homojunction devices. Previous studies have established that carriers escape the quantum wells with high efficiency in forward bias and contribute to the photocurrent. Progress in resolving the efficiency limits of these cells has been dogged by the lack of a theoretical model reproducing both the enhanced carrier gen- eration and enhanced recombination due to the quantum wells. Here we present a model which calculates the incremental generation and recombination due to the QWs and is verified by modelling the experimental light and dark current-voltage characteristics of a range of III-V quantum well structures. We find that predicted dark currents are significantly greater than experiment if we use lifetimes derived from homostructure devices. Successful simulation of light and dark currents can be obtained only by introducing a parameter which represents a reduction in the quasi-Fermi level separation.Comment: Preprint submitted to the 28th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Anchorage, Alaska, USA, Sept. 2000, pp. 1304-130

Building up spacetime with quantum entanglement

In this essay, we argue that the emergence of classically connected spacetimes is intimately related to the quantum entanglement of degrees of freedom in a non-perturbative description of quantum gravity. Disentangling the degrees of freedom associated with two regions of spacetime results in these regions pulling apart and pinching off from each other in a way that can be quantified by standard measures of entanglement.Comment: Gravity Research Foundation essay, 7 pages, LaTeX, 5 figure

On the perturbative S-matrix of generalized sine-Gordon models

Motivated by its relation to the Pohlmeyer reduction of AdS_5 x S^5 superstring theory we continue the investigation of the generalized sine-Gordon model defined by SO(N+1)/SO(N) gauged WZW theory with an integrable potential. Extending our previous work (arXiv:0912.2958) we compute the one-loop two-particle S-matrix for the elementary massive excitations. In the N = 2 case corresponding to the complex sine-Gordon theory it agrees with the charge-one sector of the quantum soliton S-matrix proposed in hep-th/9410140. In the case of N > 2 when the gauge group SO(N) is non-abelian we find a curious anomaly in the Yang-Baxter equation which we interpret as a gauge artifact related to the fact that the scattered particles are not singlets under the residual global subgroup of the gauge group

Black Hole Emission in String Theory and the String Phase of Black Holes

String theory properly describes black-hole evaporation. The quantum string emission by Black Holes is computed. The black-hole temperature is the Hawking temperature in the semiclassical quantum field theory (QFT) regime and becomes the intrinsic string temperature, T_s, in the quantum (last stage) string regime. The QFT-Hawking temperature T_H is upper bounded by the string temperature T_S. The black hole emission spectrum is an incomplete gamma function of (T_H - T_S). For T_H << T_S, it yields the QFT-Hawking emission. For T_H \to T_S, it shows highly massive string states dominate the emission and undergo a typical string phase transition to a microscopic `minimal' black hole of mass M_{\min} or radius r_{\min} (inversely proportional to T_S) and string temperature T_S. The string back reaction effect (selfconsistent black hole solution of the semiclassical Einstein equations) is computed. Both, the QFT and string black hole regimes are well defined and bounded.The string `minimal' black hole has a life time tau_{min} simeq (k_B c)/(G hbar [T_S]^3). The semiclassical QFT black hole (of mass M and temperature T_H) and the string black hole (of mass M_{min} and temperature T_S) are mapped one into another by a `Dual' transform which links classical/QFT and quantum string regimes.Comment: LaTex, 22 pages, Lectures delivered at the Chalonge School, Nato ASI: Phase Transitions in the Early Universe: Theory and Observations. To appear in the Proceedings, Editors H. J. de Vega, I. Khalatnikov, N. Sanchez. (Kluwer Pub

Some comments on spacelike minimal surfaces with null polygonal boundaries in AdSmAdS_m

We discuss some geometrical issues related to spacelike minimal surfaces in $AdS_m$ with null polygonal boundaries at conformal infinity. In particular for $AdS_4$, two holomorphic input functions for the Pohlmeyer reduced system are identified. This system contains two coupled differential equations for two functions $\alpha (z,\bar z)$ and $\beta (z,\bar z)$, related to curvature and torsion of the surface. Furthermore, we conjecture that, for a polynomial choice of the two holomorphic functions, the relative positions of their zeros encode the conformal invariant data of the boundary null $2n$-gon.Comment: 13 pages, a note and references added, version to appear in JHE

Integrable models: from dynamical solutions to string theory

We review the status of integrable models from the point of view of their dynamics and integrability conditions. Some integrable models are discussed in detail. We comment on the use it is made of them in string theory. We also discuss the Bethe Ansatz solution of the SO(6) symmetric Hamiltonian with SO(6) boundary. This work is especially prepared for the seventieth anniversaries of Andr\'{e} Swieca (in memoriam) and Roland K\"{o}berle.Comment: 24 pages, to appear in Brazilian Journal of Physic

Quantum dispersion relations for excitations of long folded spinning superstring in AdS_5 x S^5

We use AdS_5 x S^5 superstring sigma model perturbation theory to compute the leading one-loop corrections to the dispersion relations of the excitations near a long spinning string in AdS. This investigation is partially motivated by the OPE-based approach to the computation of the expectation value of null polygonal Wilson loops suggested in arXiv:1006.2788. Our results are in partial agreement with the recent asymptotic Bethe ansatz computation in arXiv:1010.5237. In particular, we find that the heaviest AdS mode (absent in the ABA approach) is stable and has a corrected one-loop dispersion relation similar to the other massive modes. Its stability might hold also at the next-to-leading order as we suggest using a unitarity-based argument.Comment: 22 pages, 3 figures. v3: small corrections and a comment added in sec. 4.