The `s-rule' exclusion principle and vacuum interpolation in worldvolume dynamics

We show how the worldvolume realization of the Hanany-Witten effect for a supersymmetric D5-brane in a D3 background also provides a classical realization of the `s-rule' exclusion principle. Despite the supersymmetry, the force on the D5-brane vanishes only in the D5 `ground state', which is shown to interpolate between 6-dimensional Minkowski space and an $OSp(4^*|4)$-invariant $adS_2\times S^4$ geometry. The M-theory analogue of these results is briefly discussed.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figures, LaTeX JHEP styl

Sectional Curvature Bounds in Gravity: Regularisation of the Schwarzschild Singularity

A general geometrical scheme is presented for the construction of novel classical gravity theories whose solutions obey two-sided bounds on the sectional curvatures along certain subvarieties of the Grassmannian of two-planes. The motivation to study sectional curvature bounds comes from their equivalence to bounds on the acceleration between nearby geodesics. A universal minimal length scale is a necessary ingredient of the construction, and an application of the kinematical framework to static, spherically symmetric spacetimes shows drastic differences to the Schwarzschild solution of general relativity by the exclusion of spacelike singularities.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figure, REVTeX4, updated reference

Accelerating Cosmologies and a Phase Transition in M-Theory

M-theory compactifies on a seven-dimensional time-dependent hyperbolic or flat space to a four-dimensional FLRW cosmology undergoing a period of accelerated expansion in Einstein conformal frame. The strong energy condition is violated by the scalar fields produced in the compactification, as is necessary to evade the no-go theorem for time-independent compactifications. The four-form field strength of eleven-dimensional supergravity smoothly switches on during the period of accelerated expansion in hyperbolic compactifications, whereas in flat compactifications, the three-form potential smoothly changes its sign. For small acceleration times, this behaviour is like a phase transition of the three-form potential, during which the cosmological scale factor approximately doubles.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, REVTeX4, some references adde

Canonical differential geometry of string backgrounds

String backgrounds and D-branes do not possess the structure of Lorentzian manifolds, but that of manifolds with area metric. Area metric geometry is a true generalization of metric geometry, which in particular may accommodate a B-field. While an area metric does not determine a connection, we identify the appropriate differential geometric structure which is of relevance for the minimal surface equation in such a generalized geometry. In particular the notion of a derivative action of areas on areas emerges naturally. Area metric geometry provides new tools in differential geometry, which promise to play a role in the description of gravitational dynamics on D-branes.Comment: 20 pages, no figures, improved journal versio

Classical limit of quantum gravity in an accelerating universe

A one-parameter deformation of Einstein?Hilbert gravity with an inverse Riemann curvature term is derived as the classical limit of quantum gravity compatible with an accelerating universe. This result is based on the investigation of semi-classical theories with sectional curvature bounds which are shown not to admit static spherically symmetric black holes if otherwise of phenomenological interest. We discuss the impact on the canonical quantization of gravity, and observe that worldsheet string theory is not affected.Comment: 11 pages, no figure

Geometry of manifolds with area metric: multi-metric backgrounds

We construct the differential geometry of smooth manifolds equipped with an algebraic curvature map acting as an area measure. Area metric geometry provides a spacetime structure suitable for the discussion of gauge theories and strings, and is considerably more general than Lorentzian geometry. Our construction of geometrically relevant objects, such as an area metric compatible connection and derived tensors, makes essential use of a decomposition theorem due to Gilkey, whereby we generate the area metric from a finite collection of metrics. Employing curvature invariants for multi-metric backgrounds we devise a class of gravity theories with inherently stringy character, and discuss gauge matter actions.Comment: 34 pages, REVTeX4, journal versio