Semiclassical decay of near extremal fivebranes

We argue that a near-extremal charge-$k$ type II NS fivebrane can be reliably described in semiclassical string perturbation theory as long as both $k$ and $\mu \over k$ are large, where $\mu$ is the energy density in string units. For a small value of the asymptotic string coupling $g$, the dynamics in the throat surrounding the fivebrane reduces to the CGHS model with massive fields. We find that the energy density leaks off the brane in the form of Hawking radiation at a rate of order $1 \over k^{7/2}$ in string units independently of $g$ to leading order. In the $g\to 0$ limit the radiation persists but never reaches asymptotic infinity because the throat becomes infinitely long.Comment: 3 pages, harvma

Large N Limit of Non-Commutative Gauge Theories

Using the correspondence between gauge theories and string theory in curved backgrounds, we investigate aspects of the large $N$ limit of non-commutative gauge theories by considering gravity solutions with $B$ fields. We argue that the total number of physical degrees of freedom at any given scale coincides with the commutative case. We then compute a two-point correlation function involving momentum components in the directions of the $B$-field. In the UV regime, we find that the two-point function decays exponentially with the momentum. A calculation of Wilson lines suggests that strings cannot be localized near the boundary. We also find string configurations that are localized in a finite region of the radial direction. These are worldsheet instantons.Comment: 21 pages, harvmac. Some errors in correlators corrected, minor corrections to the Lorentzian solution

Statistical Entropy of Near Extremal Five-branes

The Hawking Beckenstein entropy of near extremal fivebranes is calculated in terms of a gas of strings living on the fivebrane. These fivebranes can also be viewed as near extremal black holes in five dimensions.Comment: 8 pages, uses harvma

Dual composition of odd-dimensional models

A general way of interpreting odd dimensional models as a doublet of chiral models is discussed. Based on the equations of motion this dual composition is illustrated. Examples from quantum mechanics, field theory and gravity are considered. Specially the recently advocated topologically massive gravity is analysed in some details.Comment: minor modification

N=2 Extremal Black Holes and Intersecting Branes

Using a simple hypothesis about the degrees of freedom of intersecting branes we find a microscopic counting argument that reproduces the entropy of a class of BPS black holes of type IIA string theory on general Calabi Yau three folds.Comment: 4 pages, no figures. Typos correcte

Supersymmetric Field Theory in 2T-physics

We construct N=1 supersymmetry in 4+2 dimensions compatible with the theoretical framework of 2T physics field theory and its gauge symmetries. The fields are arranged into 4+2 dimensional chiral and vector supermultiplets, and their interactions are uniquely fixed by SUSY and 2T-physics gauge symmetries. Many 3+1 spacetimes emerge from 4+2 by gauge fixing. Gauge degrees of freedom are eliminated as one comes down from 4+2 to 3+1 dimensions without any remnants of Kaluza-Klein modes. In a special gauge, the remaining physical degrees of freedom, and their interactions, coincide with ordinary N=1 supersymmetric field theory in 3+1 dimensions. In this gauge, SUSY in 4+2 is interpreted as superconformal symmetry SU(2,2|1) in 3+1 dimensions. Furthermore, the underlying 4+2 structure imposes some interesting restrictions on the emergent 3+1 SUSY field theory, which could be considered as part of the predictions of 2T-physics. One of these is the absence of the troublesome renormalizable CP violating F*F terms. This is good for curing the strong CP violation problem of QCD. An additional feature is that the superpotential is required to have no dimensionful parameters. To induce phase transitions, such as SUSY or electro-weak symmetry breaking, a coupling to the dilaton is needed. This suggests a common origin of phase transitions that is driven by the vacuum value of the dilaton, and need to be understood in a cosmological scenario as part of a unified theory that includes the coupling of supergravity to matter. Another interesting aspect is the possibility to utilize the inherent 2T gauge symmetry to explore dual versions of the N=1 theory in 3+1 dimensions. This is expected to reveal non-perturbative aspects of ordinary 1T field theory.Comment: 54 pages, late

Statistical Entropy of Nonextremal Four-Dimensional Black Holes and U-Duality

We identify the states in string theory which are responsible for the entropy of near-extremal rotating four-dimensional black holes in $N=8$ supergravity. For black holes far from extremality (with no rotation), the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy is exactly matched by a mysterious duality invariant extension of the formulas derived for near-extremal black holes states.Comment: 9 pages, harvma

Wilson Loops as Precursors

There is substantial evidence that string theory on AdS_5 x S_5 is a holographic theory in which the number of degrees of freedom scales as the area of the boundary in Planck units. Precisely how the theory can describe bulk physics using only surface degrees of freedom is not well understood. A particularly paradoxical situation involves an event deep in the interior of the bulk space. The event must be recorded in the (Schroedinger Picture) state vector of the boundary theory long before a signal, such as a gravitational wave, can propagate from the event to the boundary. In a previous paper with Polchinski, we argued that the "precursor" operators which carry information stored in the wave during the time when it vanishes in a neighborhood of the boundary are necessarily non-local. In this paper we argue that the precursors cannot be products of local gauge invariant operators such as the energy momentum tensor. In fact gauge theories have a class of intrinsically non-local operators which cannot be built from local gauge invariant objects. These are the Wilson loops. We show that the precursors can be identified with Wilson loops whose spatial size is dictated by the UV-IR connection.Comment: 23 pages, no figure

Nonextremal Black Hole Microstates and U-duality

A six-parameter family of five-dimensional black hole solutions is constructed which are labeled by their mass, two asymptotic scalar fields and three charges. It is shown that the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy is exactly matched, arbitrarily far from extremality, by a simple but mysterious duality-invariant extension of previously derived formulae for the number of D-brane states in string theory.Comment: 19 page