Related papers: A note on the Near Flat Limit for strings in the M…

There are at present two known string theories in $(2,2)$ dimensions. One of them is the well known $N=2$ string, and the other one is a more recently constructed $N=1$ spacetime supersymmetric string. They are both based on certain…

This thesis considers two different aspects of string theory, the tensionless limit of the string and supersymmetric sigma models. The tensionless limit is used to find a IIB supergravity background generated by a tensionless string.…

Taking the N=2 strings as the starting point, we discuss the equivalent self-dual field theories and analyse their symmetry structure in 2+2 dimensions. Restoring the full `Lorentz' invariance in the target space necessarily leads to an…

We study partially supersymmetric plane-wave like deformations of string theories and M-theory on brane backgrounds. These deformations are dual to nonlocal field theories. We calculate various expectation values of configurations of closed…

We consider Yang-Mills theory with $N=2$ super translation group in $d=10$ auxiliary dimensions as the structure group. The gauge theory is defined on a direct product manifold $\Sigma_2\times H^2$, where $\Sigma_2$ is a two-dimensional…

The large Nc expansion of N=2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory with gauge group SU(Nc) has recently been shown to break down at singularities on the moduli space. We conjecture that by taking Nc to infinity and approaching the singularities…

We study the relationship between M theory on a nearly lightlike circle and U(N) gauge theory in p+1 dimensions. We define large N limits of these theories in which low energy supergravity is valid. The regularity of these limits implies an…

We explore a new way of probing scattering of closed strings in $AdS_5\times S^5$, which we call `the large $p$ limit'. It consists of studying four-point correlators of single-particle operators in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM at large $N$ and…

Type II string theory and M-theory admit flux configurations that break supersymmetry below the Kaluza-Klein scale. These backgrounds play a central role in most models of the string landscape. I argue that the behavior of such backgrounds…

A matrix model which has the manifest ten-dimensional N=2 super Poincare invariance is proposed. Interactions between BPS-saturated states are analyzed to show that massless spectrum is the same as that of type IIB string theory. It is…

We test the spectrum of string theory on AdS_5 x S^5 derived in hep-th/0305052 against that of single-trace gauge invariant operators in free N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. Masses of string excitations at critical tension are derived by…

We treat RR flux backgrounds of type II string theory in the framework of closed superstring field theory based on the NSR formalism, focusing on two examples: (1) the pp-wave background supported by 5-form flux, and (2) $AdS_3\times…

Tadpoles accompany, in one form or another, all attempts to realize supersymmetry breaking in String Theory, making the present constructions at best incomplete. Whereas these tadpoles are typically large, a closer look at the problem from…

This talk begins with some history and basic facts about string theory and its connections with strong interactions. Comparisons of stacks of Dirichlet branes with curved backgrounds produced by them are used to motivate the AdS/CFT…

Some mysterious features of the strong interactions become easily understood if our usual QCD with N=3 is `close to' SU(oo) and if the latter theory is confining. N=oo theories are theoretically simpler; in particular there has been much…

The quantization of the giant magnon away from the infinite size limit is discussed. We argue that this quantization inevitably leads to string theory on a Z_M-orbifold of S^5. This is shown explicitly and examined in detail in the near…

We discuss some aspects of closed superstrings in Melvin-type magnetic backgrounds. A 2-parameter family of such NS-NS backgrounds are exactly solvable as weakly coupled string models with the spectrum containing tachyonic modes. Magnetic…

Quantum matrix models in the large-N limit arise in many physical systems like Yang-Mills theory with or without supersymmetry, quantum gravity, string-bit models, various low energy effective models of string theory, M(atrix) theory,…

The behaviour of matrix string theory in the background of a type IIA pp wave at small string coupling, g_s << 1, is determined by the combination M g_s where M is a dimensionless parameter proportional to the strength of the Ramond-Ramond…

We discuss k-strings in the large-N Yang-Mills theory and its supersymmetric extension. Whereas the tension of the bona fide (stable) QCD string is expected to depend only on the N-ality of the representation, tensions that depend on…