Related papers: On Background Independence and Duality Invariance …
The higher derivative corrections in double field theory are revisited to first order in $\alpha'$. In first order perturbation theory around flat space, the gauge algebra is $\alpha'$ corrected, governed by two parameters $a, b$. One…
I discuss various aspects of background independence in the context of string theory, for which so far we have no manifestly background independent formulation. After reviewing the role of background independence in classical Einstein…
We investigate $\alpha'$ corrections of bosonic strings in the framework of double field theory. The previously introduced "doubled $\alpha'$-geometry" gives $\alpha'$-deformed gauge transformations arising in the Green-Schwarz anomaly…
A manifestly T-dual invariant formulation of bosonic string theory is discussed here. It can be obtained by making both the usual string compact coordinates and their duals explicitly appear, on the same footing, in the world-sheet action.…
A new method for obtaining dual string theory backgrounds is presented. Preservation of the Hamiltonian density and the energy momentum tensor induced by O(d,d)-transformations leads to a relation between dual sets of coordinate one-forms…
The evolution of a closed bosonic string is envisaged in the time-dependent background of its massless modes. A duality transformation is implemented on the spatial component of string coordinates to obtain a dual string. It is shown that…
We construct an $O(d,d)$ invariant universal formulation of the first-order $\alpha'$-corrections of the string effective actions involving the dilaton, metric and two-form fields. Two free parameters interpolate between four-derivative…
Double Field Theory (DFT) is an attempt to make the O(d,d) T-duality symmetry of string theory manifest, already before reducing on a d-torus. It is known that supergravity can be formulated in an O(D,D) covariant way, and remarkably this…
We develop doubled-coordinate field theory to determine the \alpha' corrections to the massless sector of oriented bosonic closed string theory. Our key tool is a string current algebra of free left-handed bosons that makes O(D,D) T-duality…
Toroidal backgrounds for bosonic strings are used to understand target space duality as a symmetry of string field theory and to study explicitly issues in background independence. Our starting point is the notion that the string field…
We revisit the existence, background independence and uniqueness of closed, open and open-closed bosonic- and topological string field theory, using the machinery of homotopy algebra. In a theory of classical open- and closed strings, the…
The elements of $O(d,d,\Z)$ are shown to be discrete symmetries of the space of curved string backgrounds that are independent of $d$ coordinates. The explicit action of the symmetries on the backgrounds is described. Particular attention…
We consider a class of $2+D$ - dimensional string backgrounds with a target space metric having a covariantly constant null Killing vector and flat `transverse' part. The corresponding sigma models are invariant under $D$ abelian isometries…
We dimensionally reduce the spacetime action of bosonic string theory, and that of the bosonic sector of heterotic string theory after truncating the Yang-Mills gauge fields, on a $d$-dimensional torus including all higher-derivative…
We compute, for cosmological backgrounds, the $O(d,d;\mathbb{R})$ invariant beta functions for the sigma model of the bosonic string at two loops. This yields an independent first-principle derivation of the order $\alpha'$ corrections to…
We study closed string exchanges in background $B$-field. By analysing the two point one loop amplitude in bosonic string theory, we show that tree-level exchange of lowest lying, tachyonic and massless closed string modes, have IR…
The problems with background independence are discussed in the example of open string theory. Based on the recent proposal by Witten I calculate the String Field Theory action in conformal perturbation theory to second order and demonstrate…
While the classification of $\alpha'$ corrections of string inspired effective theories remains an unsolved problem, we show how to classify duality invariant $\alpha'$ corrections for purely time-dependent (cosmological) backgrounds. We…
Double Field Theory is a manifestly T-duality invariant formulation of string theory in which the effective theory at any order of $\alpha'$ is invariant under global $O(D,D)$ transformations and ought to be invariant under gauge…
The higher-derivative $\alpha'$ corrections consistent with $O(d,d)$ duality invariance can be completely classified for cosmological, purely time-dependent backgrounds. This result is used to show that there are duality invariant theories…