Progress in weakly coupled string phenomenology

The weakly coupled vacuum of $E_8\otimes E_8$ heterotic string theory remains an attractive scenario for particle physics. The particle spectrum and the issue of dilaton stabilization are reviewed. A specific model for hidden sector condensation and supersymmetry breaking, that respects known constraints from string theory, is described, and its phenomenological and cosmological implications are discussed.Comment: 15 pages, full postscript also available from http://phyweb.lbl.gov/theorygroup/papers/48640.p

Six-Dimensional Tensionless Strings In The Large N Limit

When $N$ five-branes of M-theory coincide the world-volume theory contains tensionless strings, according to Strominger's construction. This suggests a large $N$ limit of tensionless string theories. For the small $E_8$ instanton theories, the definition would be a large instanton number. An adiabatic argument suggests that in the large $N$ limit an effective extra uncompactified dimension might be observed. We also propose ``surface-equations'', which are an analog of Makeenko-Migdal loop-equations, and might describe correlators in the tensionless string theories. In these equations, the anti-self-dual two forms of 6D and the tensionless strings enter on an equal footing. Addition of strings with CFTs on their world-sheet is analogous to addition of matter in 4D QCD.Comment: 34 pages, LaTeX, 5 figures adde

Superstring Scattering from D-Branes

We derive fully covariant expressions for all two-point scattering amplitudes of two massless closed strings from a Dirichlet $p$-brane. This construction relies on the observation that there is a simple relation between these D-brane amplitudes in type II superstring theory and four-point scattering amplitudes for type I open superstrings. From the two-point amplitudes, we derive the long range background fields for the D-branes, and verify that as expected they correspond to those of extremally charged $p$-brane solutions of the low energy effective action.Comment: 33 pages, Latex, 4 figure

Phenomenological viability of string and M-theory scenarios

We analyze the constraints that a correct phenomenology and the absence of dangerous charge and color breaking (CCB) minima or unbounded from below (UFB) directions impose on the parameter space of different superstring and M-theory scenarios. Namely, we analyze in detail the case where supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking is driven by non-vanishing dilaton and/or moduli F-terms in weakly and strongly coupled strings, and the specific case where the mechanism of SUSY breaking is gaugino condensation with or without the participation of non-perturbative contributions to the K{\"a}hler potential. The results indicate that, only in some small windows of the parameter space all the previous tests are succesfully passed. We also discuss the impact of non-universality of the soft breaking terms on CCB/UFB bounds.Comment: 18 pages + 10 figures, PostScript fil