Related papers: Twistor theory at fifty: from contour integrals to…
Vasiliev equations facilitate globally defined formulations of higher-spin gravity in various correspondence spaces associated with different phases of the theory. In the four-dimensional case this induces a map from a generally covariant…
This paper studies novel four-dimensional integrable field theories that are deformations of self-dual Yang-Mills. They are engineered by considering holomorphic Chern-Simons and BF type theories on covers of twistor space obtained by…
Dual superconformal invariance has recently emerged as a hidden symmetry of planar scattering amplitudes in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. This symmetry can be made manifest by expressing amplitudes in terms of `momentum twistors', as opposed…
Infinite-dimensional algebras of hidden symmetries of the self-dual Yang-Mills equations are considered. A current-type algebra of symmetries and an affine extension of conformal symmetries introduced recently are discussed using the…
This essay presents a critical evaluation of the concepts of string theory and its impact on particle physics. The point of departure is a historical review of four decades of string theory within the broader context of six decades of…
Super twistor space admits a certain (super) complex structure deformation that preserves the Poincare subgroup of the symmetry group PSL(4|4) and depends on 10 parameters. In a previous paper [hep-th/0502076], it was proposed that in…
Topological string theory with twistor space as the target makes visible some otherwise difficult to see properties of perturbative Yang-Mills theory. But left-right symmetry, which is obvious in the standard formalism, is highly unclear…
We review a progress in obtaining the complete non-perturbative effective action of type II string theory compactified on a Calabi-Yau manifold. This problem is equivalent to understanding quantum corrections to the metric on the…
Ingoing and outgoing principal null geodesics in Kerr spacetimes are characterized as part of parametrized families of strings in complex Kerr geometry and are associated with holomorphic curves in twistor space with help of the Kerr…
It is known for ten years that self-dual Yang-Mills theory is the effective field theory of the open N=2 string in 2+2 dimensional spacetime. We uncover an infinite set of abelian rigid string symmetries, corresponding to the symmetries and…
The simplicity and hidden symmetries of (Super) Yang-Mills and (Super)Gravity scattering amplitudes suggest the existence of a "weak-weak" dual formulation in which these structures are made manifest at the expense of manifest locality. We…
We describe a class of six-dimensional conformal field theories that have some properties in common with and possibly are related to a subsector of the tensionless string theories. The latter theories can for example give rise to…
The construction of amplitudes on curved space-times is a major challenge, particularly when the background has non-constant curvature. We give formulae for all tree-level graviton scattering amplitudes in curved self-dual radiative…
Witten has recently proposed a string theory in twistor space whose D-instanton contributions are conjectured to compute N=4 super-Yang-Mills scattering amplitudes. An alternative string theory in twistor space was then proposed whose open…
The search for a geometrical understanding of dualities in string theory, in particular T-duality, has led to the development of modern T-duality covariant frameworks such as Double Field Theory, whose mathematical structure can be…
We develop ambitwistor string theories for 4 dimensions to obtain new formulae for tree-level gauge and gravity amplitudes with arbitrary amounts of supersymmetry. Ambitwistor space is the space of complex null geodesics in complexified…
The spin foam formalism provides transition amplitudes for loop quantum gravity. Important aspects of the dynamics are understood, but many open questions are pressing on. In this paper we address some of them using a twistorial…
Studies of noncommutative gauge theory have mainly focused on noncommutative spacetimes with constant noncommutative structure, with little known about actions for noncommutative 4D Yang-Mills theory beyond this case. We construct an action…
Twistors in four dimensions d=4 have provided a convenient description of massless particles with any spin, and this led to remarkable computational techniques in Yang-Mills field theory. Recently it was shown that the same d=4 twistor…
In these lectures I will discuss the following topics: (1) Twistors in 4 flat dimensions: Massless particles; constrained phase space (x,p) versus twistors; Physical states in twistor space. (2) Introduction to 2T-physics and derivation of…