Supergravity Solutions for Branes Localized Within Branes

We construct supergravity solutions describing branes (D2-branes or NS5-branes or waves) localized within D6-branes in the region close to the core of the D6-branes. Other similar string-theory and M-theory `near-core' localized solutions can be found by applying U-duality and/or lifting D=10 solutions to D=11. In particular, the D2-branes localized on D6-branes is T-dual to a special case of the background describing (D)strings localized on (D)5-branes and thus is also related to a localized intersection of M2-branes and M5-branes. D6+wave configuration is U-dual to a D0-brane localized on a Kaluza-Klein 5-brane or to the fundamental string intersecting a D5-brane with the point of intersection localized on the D5-brane.Comment: 11 pages, version to appear in Phys. Lett.

Supersymmetric D3 brane action in AdS_5 x S^5

We find the space-time supersymmetric and kappa-invariant action for a D3-brane propagating in the AdS_5 x S^5 background. As in the previous construction of the fundamental string action in this maximally supersymmetric string vacuum the starting point is the corresponding superalgebra su(2,2|4). We comment on the super Yang-Mills interpretation of the gauge-fixed form of the action.Comment: 12 pages, latex. v2: misprints corrected, useful representation of the WZ part of the action added in section

Intersecting M-branes as Four-Dimensional Black Holes

We present two 1/8 supersymmetric intersecting p-brane solutions of 11-dimensional supergravity which upon compactification to four dimensions reduce to extremal dyonic black holes with finite area of horizon. The first solution is a configuration of three intersecting 5-branes with an extra momentum flow along the common string. The second describes a system of two 2-branes and two 5-branes. Related (by compactification and T-duality) solution of type IIB theory corresponds to a completely symmetric configuration of four intersecting 3-branes. We suggest methods for counting the BPS degeneracy of three intersecting 5-branes which, in the macroscopic limit, reproduce the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy.Comment: 15 pages, harvmac; a reference added (the version to appear in Nulcear Physics B

On field redefinitions and exact solutions in string theory

String backgrounds associated with gauged $G/H$ WZNW models in general depend non-trivially on $\alpha'$. We note, however, that there exists a local covariant \a'-dependent field redefinition that relates the exact metric-dilaton background corresponding to the $SL(2,R)/U(1)$ model to its leading-order form ($D=2$ black hole). As a consequence, there exists a `scheme' in which the string effective equations have the latter as an exact solution. However, the corresponding equation for the tachyon (which, like other Weyl anomaly coefficients, has scheme-dependent form) still contains corrections of all orders in $\alpha'$. As a result, the `probes' (the tachyons) still feel the $\alpha'$-corrected background. The field redefinitions we discuss contain the dilaton terms in the metric transformation law. We comment on exact forms of the duality transformation in different `schemes'.Comment: 11 pages, harvmac, CERN-TH.6970/93 [ A new section on tachyonic equation is added: while there exists a scheme where the exact D=2 `black hole' metric-dilaton background has semiclassical form, the equation for the tachyon still contains \alpha'-corrections, i.e. the tachyon still feels the \alpha'-corrected background

String vacuum backgrounds with covariantly constant null Killing vector and 2d quantum gravity

We consider a $2d$ sigma model with a $2+N$ - dimensional Minkowski signature target space metric having a covariantly constant null Killing vector. We study solutions of the conformal invariance conditions in $2+N$ dimensions and find that generic solutions can be represented in terms of the RG flow in $N$ - dimensional ``transverse space'' theory. The resulting conformal invariant sigma model is interpreted as a quantum action of the $2d$ scalar (``dilaton") quantum gravity model coupled to a (non-conformal) `transverse' sigma model. The conformal factor of the $2d$ metric is identified with a light cone coordinate of the $2+N$ - dimensional sigma model. We also discuss the case when the transverse theory is conformal (with or without the antisymmetric tensor background) and reproduce in a systematic way the solutions with flat transverse space known before.Comment: 26 p., revised (a discussion of tachyon coupling is added at the end of section 4), DAMTP-92-4

Self-duality of Born-Infeld action and Dirichlet 3-brane of type IIB superstring theory

D-brane actions depend on a world-volume abelian vector field and are described by Born-Infeld-type actions. We consider the vector field duality transformations of these actions. Like the usual 2d scalar duality rotations of isometric string coordinates imply target space T-duality, this vector duality is intimately connected with SL(2,Z)-symmetry of type IIB superstring theory. We find that in parallel with generalised 4-dimensional Born-Infeld action, the action of 3-brane of type IIB theory is SL(2,Z) self-dual. This indicates that 3-brane should play a special role in type IIB theory and also suggests a possibility of its 12-dimensional reformulation.Comment: 22 pages, harvmac (minor changes

Generalised chiral null models and rotating string backgrounds

We consider an extension of a special class of conformal sigma models (`chiral null models') which describe extreme supersymmetric string solutions. The new models contain both `left' and `right' vector couplings and should correspond to non-BPS backgrounds. In particular, we discuss a conformal six-dimensional model which is a combination of fundamental string and 5-brane models with two extra couplings representing rotations in orthogonal planes. If the two rotational parameters are independent the resulting background is found to be either singular or not asymptotically flat. The non asymptotically flat solution has a regular short distance limit described by a `twisted' product of SL(2,R) and SU(2) WZW theories with two twist parameters mixing the isometric Euler angles of SU(2) with a null direction of SL(2,R).Comment: 12 pages, late

Effective potential in non-supersymmetric SU(N) x SU(N) gauge theory and interactions of type 0 D3-branes

We study some aspects of short-distance interaction between parallel D3-branes in type 0 string theory as described by the corresponding world-volume gauge theory. We compute the one-loop effective potential in the non-supersymmetric SU(N) x SU(N) gauge theory (which is a Z_2 projection of the U(2N) n=4 SYM theory) representing dyonic branes composed of N electric and N magnetic D3-branes. The branes of the same type repel at short distances, but an electric and a magnetic brane attract, and the forces between self-dual branes cancel. The self-dual configuration (with the positions of the electric and the magnetic branes, i.e. the diagonal entries of the adjoint scalar fields, being the same) is stable against separation of one electric or one magnetic brane, but is unstable against certain modes of separation of several same-type branes. This instability should be suppressed in the large N limit, i.e. should be irrelevant for the large N CFT interpretation of the gauge theory suggested in hep-th/9901101.Comment: 14 pages, latex, v2: minor corrections, v3: a comment and references added at the end of section

On string cosmology and the RG flow in 2d field theory

Time-dependent solutions of bosonic string theory resemble renormalisation group trajectories in the space of 2d field theories: they often interpolate between repulsive and attractive static solutions. It is shown that the attractive static solutions are those whose spatial sections are minima of |\bar c-25|, where \bar c is the `c-function'. The size of the domain of attraction of such a solution may be a measure of the probability of the corresponding string vacuum. Our discussion has also an implication for the RG flow in theories coupled to dynamical 2d gravity: the flow from models with c>25 to models with c<25 is forbidden.Comment: 16 pages, Latex, BUTP-94/7, Imperial/TP/93-94/29 (some footnotes and references added.

On solvable models of type IIB superstring in NS-NS and R-R plane wave backgrounds

We consider type IIB string in the two plane-wave backgrounds which may be interpreted as special limits of the AdS_3 x S^3 metric supported by either the NS-NS or R-R 3-form field. The NS-NS plane-wave string model is equivalent to a direct generalization of the Nappi-Witten model, with its spectrum being similar to that of strings in constant magnetic field. The R-R model can be solved in the light-cone gauge, where the Green-Schwarz action describes 4 massive and 4 massless copies of free bosons and fermions. We find the spectra of the two string models and study the asymptotic density of states. We also discuss a more general class of exactly solvable plane-wave models with reduced supersymmetry which is obtained by adding twists in two spatial 2-planes.Comment: 36 pages, harvmac. v2: discussion of equivalence of the supergravity parts of the spectra of the NS-NS and R-R models added in sect.5.3; v3: added remark on periodicity of the NS-NS spectrum; v4: minor correction in sect.6.