Related papers: String Theory, the Dark Sector and the Hierarchy P…
This work is devoted to a study of some of the non-perturbative aspects of superstring theory that have come within reach thanks to dualities. The first chapter gives a non-technical zero-equation introduction to these developments intended…
Stabilizing a heterotic string vacuum with a large expectation value of the dilaton and simultaneously breaking low-energy supersymmetry is a long-standing problem of string phenomenology. We reconsider these issues in light of the recent…
We demonstrate a first-principle analysis of the string theory landscapes in the framework of non-critical string/matrix models. In particular, we discuss non-perturbative instability, decay rate and the true vacuum of perturbative string…
We study vacuum stability of supersymmetric extended Higgs sectors with a discrete $Z_2$ symmetry. These models may be able to explain dark matter, neutrino masses, baryon asymmetry of the Universe and hierarchy problem simultaneously at…
String theory is the leading contemporary framework to explore the synthesis of quantum mechanics with gravity. String phenomenology aims to study string theory while maintaining contact with observational data. The fermionic $Z_2\times…
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 ST within the broader context of six decades of failed attempts…
We reconsider here the problem of finding the general 4D spherically symmetric, asymptotically flat and time-independent solutions to the lowest-order string equations in the $\ap$ expansion. Our construction includes earlier work, but…
The cosmological constant and electroweak hierarchy problem have been a great inspiration for research. Nevertheless, the resolution of these two naturalness problems remains mysterious from the perspective of a low-energy effective field…
We propose a model of Dark Supersymmetry, where a supersymmetric dark sector is coupled to the classically scale invariant non-supersymmetric Standard Model through the Higgs portal. The dark sector contains a mass scale that is protected…
String theory on $AdS_3$ has a solvable single-trace irrelevant deformation that is closely related to $T\bar T$. For one sign of the coupling, it leads to an asymptotically linear dilaton spacetime, and a corresponding Hagedorn spectrum.…
We study the phenomenology of a recent string construction with a quantum mechanically stable dark energy. A mild supersymmetry protects the vacuum energy but also allows $O(10 - 100)$ TeV scale superpartner masses. The construction is…
A scalar particle with a relic density set by annihilations through a Higgs portal operator is a simple and minimal possibility for dark matter. However, assuming a thermal cosmological history this model is ruled out over most of parameter…
These four lectures, addressed to an audience of graduate students in experimental high energy physics, survey some of the basic concepts in string theory. The purpose is to convey a general sense of what string theory is and what it has…
We study aspects of obtaining field theories with noncommuting time-space coordinates as limits of open-string theories in constant electric-field backgrounds. We find that, within the standard closed-string backgrounds, there is an…
The string and brane tensions do not have to be put in by hand, they can be dynamically generated, as in the case when we formulate string and brane theories in the modified measure formalism. Then string and brane tensions appears, but as…
We find asymptotically anti de Sitter solutions in N=8 supergravity which have negative total energy. This is possible since the boundary conditions required for the positive energy theorem are stronger than those required for finite mass…
I propose a reinterpretation of cosmic dark matter in which a rigid network of cosmic strings formed at the end of inflation. The cosmic strings fulfill three functions: At recombination they provide an accretion mechanism for virializing…
Four-dimensional string theories predict in general the existence of light exotic particles with fractional electric charges. Such particles could escape present observations if they are confined by a gauge group of the "hidden" sector into…
We review some aspects of moduli in string theory. We argue that one should focus on {\it approximate moduli spaces}, and that there is evidence that such spaces exist non-perturbatively. We ask what it would mean for string theory to…
The quest to understand the nature of dark matter and dark energy motivates a deep exploration into axion physics, particularly within the framework of string theory. Axions, originally proposed to solve the strong CP problem, emerge as…