Non-supersymmetric D-Brane Configurations with Bose-Fermi Degenerate Open String Spectrum

The spectrum of open strings on various non-BPS D-brane configurations in type II string theory on a K3 orbifold is analysed. At a generic point in the corresponding moduli space the spectrum of open strings does not have any degeneracy between bosonic and fermionic states. However, there exist special values for these moduli for which many non-BPS D-brane configurations have an exactly bose-fermi degenerate open string spectrum at all mass levels. In this case the closed string exchange interaction between a pair of such D-brane configurations vanishes at all distances.Comment: 28 pages, LaTe

AdS_3, Black Holes and Higher Derivative Corrections

Using AdS/CFT correspondence and the Euclidean action formalism for black hole entropy Kraus and Larsen have argued that the entropy of a BTZ black hole in three dimensional supergravity with (0,4) supersymmetry does not receive any correction from higher derivative terms in the action. We argue that as a consequence of AdS/CFT correspondence the action of a three dimensional supergravity with (0,4) supersymmetry cannot receive any higher derivative correction except for those which can be removed by field redefinition. The non-renormalization of the entropy then follows as a consequence of this and the invariance of Wald's formula under a field redefinition.Comment: LaTeX file, 12 pages; v2: reference adde

Product Representation of Dyon Partition Function in CHL Models

A formula for the exact partition function of 1/4 BPS dyons in a class of CHL models has been proposed earlier. The formula involves inverse of Siegel modular forms of subgroups of Sp(2,Z). In this paper we propose product formulae for these modular forms. This generalizes the result of Borcherds and Gritsenko and Nikulin for the weight 10 cusp form of the full Sp(2,Z) group.Comment: LaTeX file, 39 pages; minor change

Picture Changing Operators in Closed Fermionic String Field Theory

We discuss appropriate arrangement of picture changing operators required to construct gauge invariant interaction vertices involving Neveu-Schwarz states in heterotic and closed superstring field theory. The operators required for this purpose are shown to satisfy a set of descent equations.Comment: 15 page

Kaluza-Klein Dyons in String Theory

S-duality of hetertotic / type II string theory compactified on a six dimensional torus requires the existence of Kaluza-Klein dyons, carrying winding charge. We identify the zero modes of the Kaluza-Klein monopole solution which are responsible for these dyonic excitations, and show that we get the correct degeneracy of dyons as predicted by S-duality. The self-dual harmonic two form on the Euclidean Taub-NUT space plays a crucial role in this construction.Comment: LaTeX file, 7 pages, reference adde

CHL Dyons and Statistical Entropy Function from D1-D5 System

We give a proof of the recently proposed formula for the dyon spectrum in CHL string theories by mapping it to a configuration of D1 and D5-branes and Kaluza-Klein monopole. We also give a prescription for computing the degeneracy as a systematic expansion in inverse powers of charges. The computation can be formulated as a problem of extremizing a duality invariant statistical entropy function whose value at the extremum gives the logarithm of the degeneracy. During this analysis we also determine the locations of the zeroes and poles of the Siegel modular forms whose inverse give the dyon partition function in the CHL models.Comment: LaTeX file, 48 pages; v2: typos correcte

Dyon Spectrum in Generic N=4 Supersymmetric Z_N Orbifolds

We find the exact spectrum of a class of quarter BPS dyons in a generic N=4 supersymmetric Z_N orbifold of type IIA string theory on K3\times T^2 or T^6. We also find the asymptotic expansion of the statistical entropy to first non-leading order in inverse power of charges and show that it agrees with the entropy of a black hole carrying same set of charges after taking into account the effect of the four derivative Gauss-Bonnet term in the effective action of the theory.Comment: LaTeX file, 39 pages; minor change

Black Hole Entropy Function and the Attractor Mechanism in Higher Derivative Gravity

We study extremal black hole solutions in D dimensions with near horizon geometry AdS_2\times S^{D-2} in higher derivative gravity coupled to other scalar, vector and anti-symmetric tensor fields. We define an entropy function by integrating the Lagrangian density over S^{D-2} for a general AdS_2\times S^{D-2} background, taking the Legendre transform of the resulting function with respect to the parameters labelling the electric fields, and multiplying the result by a factor of 2\pi. We show that the values of the scalar fields at the horizon as well as the sizes of AdS_2 and S^{D-2} are determined by extremizing this entropy function with respect to the corresponding parameters, and the entropy of the black hole is given by the value of the entropy function at this extremum. Our analysis relies on the analysis of the equations of motion and does not directly make use of supersymmetry or specific structure of the higher derivative terms.Comment: LaTeX file, 12page

Orientifold Limit of F-theory Vacua

We show how an F-theory compactified on a Calabi-Yau (n+1)-fold in appropriate weak coupling limit reduces formally to an orientifold of type IIB theory compactified on an auxiliary complex n-fold. In some cases (but not always) if the original (n+1)-fold is singular, then the auxiliary n-fold is also singular. We illustrate this by analysing F-theory on elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau 3-folds on base $F_n$.Comment: LaTeX file, 11 pages, additional argument for Calabi-Yau nature of the auxiliary manifold, one extra referenc