Type IIB String Theory, S-Duality, and Generalized Cohomology
Abstract
In the presence of background Neveu-Schwarz flux, the description of the Ramond-Ramond fields of type IIB string theory using twisted K-theory is not compatible with S-duality. We argue that other possible variants of twisted K-theory would still not resolve this issue. We propose instead a possible path to a solution using elliptic cohomology. We also discuss T-duality relation of this to a previous proposal for IIA theory, and higher-dimensional limits. In the process, we obtain some other results which may be interesting on their own. In particular, we prove a conjecture of Witten that the 11-dimensional spin cobordism group vanishes on K(Z,6), which eliminates a potential new theta-angle in type IIB string theory.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.hep-th/0410293,
title = {Type IIB String Theory, S-Duality, and Generalized Cohomology},
author = {Igor Kriz and Hisham Sati},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:hep-th/0410293},
year = {2010}
}
Comments
26 pages, latex2e. Assumptions clarified and results highlighted. Version to appear in Nucl.Phys.B