Gauge Fields and D-branes

We prove that self-dual gauge fields in type I superstring theory are equivalent to configurations of Dirichlet 5-branes, by showing that the world-sheet theory of a Dirichlet 1-brane moving in a background of 5-branes includes an ``ADHM sigma model.'' This provides an explicit construction of the equivalent self-dual gauge field. We also discuss type II.Comment: harvmac, 9p

Theta Dependence In The Large N Limit Of Four-Dimensional Gauge Theories

The theta dependent of pure gauge theories in four dimensions can be studied using a duality of large N gauge theories with string theory on a certain spacetime. Via this duality, one can argue that for every theta, there are infinitely many vacua that are stable in the large N limit. The true vacuum, found by minimizing the energy in this family, is a smooth function of theta except at theta equal to pi, where it jumps. This jump is associated with spontaneous breaking of CP symmetry. Domain walls separating adjacent vacua are described in terms of wrapped sixbranes.Comment: 8 p

Thermodynamic Instability of Black Holes of Third Order Lovelock Gravity

In this paper, we compute the mass and the temperature of the uncharged black holes of third order Lovelock gravity and compute the entropy through the use of first law of thermodynamics. We perform a stability analysis by studying the curves of temperature versus the mass parameter, and find that there exists an intermediate thermodynamically unstable phase for black holes with hyperbolic horizon. The existence of this unstable phase for the uncharged topological black holes of third order Lovelock gravity does not occur in the lower order Lovelock gravity. We also perform a stability analysis for a spherical, 7-dimensional black hole of Lovelock gravity and find that while these kinds of black holes for small values of Lovelock coefficients have an intermediate unstable phase, they are stable for large values of Lovelock coefficients. We also find that there exists an intermediate unstable phase for these black holes in higher dimensions. This stability analysis shows that the thermodynamic stability of black holes with curved horizons is not a robust feature of all the generalized theories of gravity.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figure

MHV Vertices And Tree Amplitudes In Gauge Theory

As an alternative to the usual Feynman graphs, tree amplitudes in Yang-Mills theory can be constructed from tree graphs in which the vertices are tree level MHV scattering amplitudes, continued off shell in a particular fashion. The formalism leads to new and relatively simple formulas for many amplitudes, and can be heuristically derived from twistor space.Comment: 27 p

Perspectives on Pfaffians of Heterotic World-sheet Instantons

To fix the bundle moduli of a heterotic compactification one has to understand the Pfaffian one-loop prefactor of the classical instanton contribution. For compactifications on elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau spaces X this can be made explicit for spectral bundles and world-sheet instantons supported on rational base curves b: one can express the Pfaffian in a closed algebraic form as a polynomial, or it may be understood as a theta-function expression. We elucidate the connection between these two points of view via the respective perception of the relevant spectral curve, related to its extrinsic geometry in the ambient space (the elliptic surface in X over b) or to its intrinsic geometry as abstract Riemann surface. We identify, within a conceptual description, general vanishing loci of the Pfaffian, and derive bounds on the vanishing order, relevant to solutions of W=dW=0.Comment: 40 pages; minor changes, discussion section 1.1 adde

A Non-Perturbative Superpotential With E8E_8 Symmetry

We compute the non-perturbative superpotential in $F$-theory compactification to four dimensions on a complex three-fold $\P^1\times S$, where $S$ is a rational elliptic surface. In contrast to examples considered previously, the superpotential in this case has interesting modular properties; it is essentially an $E_8$ theta function.Comment: Additional references and clarifications. Latex, 10 page

Free Fields Equations For Space-Time Algebras With Tensorial Momentum

Free field equations, with various spins, for space-time algebras with second-rank tensor (instead of usual vector) momentum are constructed. Similar algebras are appearing in superstring/M theories. The most attention is payed to the gauge invariance properties, particularly the spin two equations with gauge invariance are constructed for dimensions 2+2 and 2+4 and connection to Einstein equation and diffeomorphism invariance is established

On Tensionless Strings in 3+13+1 Dimensions

We argue for the existence of phase transitions in $3+1$ dimensions associated with the appearance of tensionless strings. The massless spectrum of this theory does not contain a graviton: it consists of one $N=2$ vector multiplet and one linear multiplet, in agreement with the light-cone analysis of the Green-Schwarz string in $3+1$ dimensions. In M-theory the string decoupled from gravity arises when two 5-branes intersect over a three-dimensional hyperplane. The two 5-branes may be connected by a 2-brane, whose boundary becomes a tensionless string with $N=2$ supersymmetry in $3+1$ dimensions. Non-critical strings on the intersection may also come from dynamical 5-branes intersecting the two 5-branes over a string and wrapped over a four-torus. The near-extremal entropy of the intersecting 5-branes is explained by the non-critical strings originating from the wrapped 5-branes.Comment: latex, 16 pages; version to appear in Nucl. Phys.

Towards SO(2,10)-Invariant M-Theory: Multilagrangian Fields

The SO(2,10) covariant extension of M-theory superalgebra is considered, with the aim to construct a correspondingly generalized M-theory, or 11d supergravity. For the orbit, corresponding to the $11d$ supergravity multiplet, the simplest unitary representations of the bosonic part of this algebra, with sixth-rank tensor excluded, are constructed on a language of field theory in 66d space-time. The main peculiarities are the presence of more than one equation of motion and corresponding Lagrangians for a given field and that the gauge and SUSY invariances of the theory mean that the sum of variations of these Lagrangians (with different variations of the same field) is equal to zero.Comment: Latex 16 pages, minor correction, To appear in Mod. Phys. Lett.