Related papers: Exotic smooth R^4, geometry of string backgrounds …

We solve the worldsheet theory describing the near-horizon dynamics of a D-string in the presence of a very large number N of D5-branes. The model is pre-geometric in the sense that the near-horizon worldsheet Lagrangian does not have…

We study a class of type I string models with supersymmetry broken on the world-volume of some D-branes and vanishing tree-level potential. Despite the non-supersymmetric spectrum, supersymmetry is non-linearly realized on these D-branes,…

We show that superconformal ${\cal N}=4,2$ algebras are well-suited to represent some invariant constructions characterizing exotic $\mathbb{R}^4$ relative to a given radial family. We examine the case of ${\cal N}=4, \hat{c}=4$ (at $r=1$…

We provide an explicit example of a higher-dimensional model describing a non-supersymmetric spectrum of 4D particles of mass M, whose 4D geometry -- {\em including loop effects} -- has a curvature that is of order R ~ m_KK^4/M_p^2, where…

We study the set $\widehat{\mathcal S}_M$ of framed smoothly slice links which lie on the boundary of the complement of a 1-handlebody in a closed, simply connected, smooth 4-manifold $M$. We show that $\widehat{\mathcal S}_M$ is…

String and M-theory contain a family of branes forming U-duality multiplets. In particular, standard branes with codimension higher than or equal to two, can be explicitly found as supergravity solutions. However, whether domain-wall branes…

We analyze exotic matter representations that arise on singular seven-brane configurations in F-theory. We develop a general framework for analyzing such representations, and work out explicit descriptions for models with matter in the…

A factorization of spacetime of the form M^3xM^3xM^3 is considered in this paper as the closed string background in type IIA. The idea behind this construction is that each M^3 might give rise to one large spatial dimension of 4-dimensional…

We study D-branes in the extended geometry appearing in exceptional field theory (or exceptional generalised geometry). Starting from the exceptional sigma model (an $E_{d(d)}$ covariant worldsheet action with extra target space…

By using the relation between foliations and exotic R^4, orbifold $K$-theory deformed by a gerbe can be interpreted as coming from the change in the smoothness of R^4. We give various interpretations of integral 3-rd cohomology classes on…

1. Preliminaries. 2. Heterotic string and motivations for large volume compactifications; 2.1 Gauge coupling unification; 2.2 Supersymmetry breaking by compactification. 3. M-theory on S^1/Z_2 \times Calabi-Yau. 4. Type I/I' string theory…

We construct non-supersymmetric four dimensional gauge theories arising as effective theories of D-branes placed on various singularities in Type 0B string theory. We mostly focus on models which are conformal in the large N limit and…

Using the D3-brane as the fundamental tool, we adress two aspects of D-branes physics. The first regards the interaction between two electromagnetic dual D-branes in 10 dimensions. In particular, we give a meaning to {\it both} even and odd…

In flux compactifications of type IIB string theory with D3 and seven-branes, the negative induced D3 charge localized on seven-branes leads to an apparently pathological profile of the metric sufficiently close to the source. With the…

The emerging study of fractons, a new type of quasi-particle with restricted mobility, has motivated the construction of several classes of interesting continuum quantum field theories with novel properties. One such class consists of…

Four dimensional supergravities may be the right framework to describe particle physics at low energies. Its connection to the underlying string theory can be implemented through higher dimensional supergravities which bear special…

Since the first work on exotic smoothness in physics, it was folklore to assume a direct influence of exotic smoothness to quantum gravity. Thus, the negative result of Duston (arXiv:0911.4068) was a surprise. A closer look into the…

We study the dynamics governing space-time filling D-branes on Type II flux backgrounds preserving four-dimensional N=1 supersymmetry. The four-dimensional superpotentials and D-terms are derived. The analysis is kept on completely general…

In this thesis we discuss non-perturbative phenomena emerging in gauge and in string/supergravity theories. We compute the partition function of 5D minimal supersymmetric U(1) gauge theory with extra adjoint matter in general…

We analyze four-dimensional (4d) $N=1$ superconformal field theories (SCFTs) obtained as deformations of 4d $N=2$ SCFTs on S-folds by tilting 7-branes. Geometric compatibility with the structures of S-folds constrains the forms of T-branes.…