Related papers: Wilsonian Effective Field Theory and String Theory
Quantization of closed string proceeds with a suitable choice of worldsheet vacuum. A priori, the vacuum may be chosen independently for left-moving and right-moving sectors. We construct {\sl ab initio} quantized bosonic string theory with…
The swampland is the set of seemingly consistent low-energy effective field theories that cannot be consistently coupled to quantum gravity. In this review we cover some of the conjectural properties that effective theories should possess…
Quantum cosmology may permit to determine the initial conditions of the Universe. In particular, it may select a specific model between many possible classical models. In this work, we study a quantum cosmological model based on the string…
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…
String theory, if it describes nature, is probably strongly coupled. In light of recent developments in string duality, this means that the ``real world'' should correspond to a region of the classical moduli space which admits no weak…
In this note we observe that Webb and co-workers' observation of an evolving fine structure constant has since been reconfirmed. We also confirm Kuhne's contention that this implies a cosmological constant and exhibit a cosmological…
Cosmological inflation is not the only early universe scenario consistent with current observational data. I will discuss the criteria for a successful early universe cosmology, compare a couple of the proposed scenarios (inflation,…
We have simulated large-amplitude standing waves on an Abelian-Higgs cosmic string in classical lattice field theory. The radiation rate falls exponentially with wavelength, as one would expect from the field profile around a gauge string.…
It has recently been conjectured that string theory does not admit de Sitter vacua, and that quintessence explains the current epoch of accelerated cosmic expansion. A proposed, key prediction of this scenario is time-varying couplings in…
For a class of Friedmann-Robertson-Walker type string solutions with compact hyperbolic spatial slices formulated in critical dimension, we find the world sheet conformal field theory which involves the linear dilaton and Wess-Zumino-Witten…
The observation of a scalar resonance at the LHC, compatible with perturbative electroweak symmetry breaking, reinforces the Standard Model parameterisation of all subatomic data. The logarithmic evolution of the SM gauge and matter…
The possibility of obtaining singularity free cosmological solutions in four dimensional effective actions motivated by string theory is investigated. In these effective actions, in addition to the Einstein-Hilbert term, the dilatonic and…
The k=0 Friedmann Lemaitre Robertson Walker model with a positive cosmological constant and a massless scalar field is analyzed in detail. If one uses the scalar field as relational time, new features arise already in the Hamiltonian…
We derive the 4D low energy effective field theory for a closed string gas on a time dependent FRW background. We examine the solutions and find that although the Brandenberger-Vafa mechanism at late times no longer leads to radion…
It is known that the cosmological constant can be dynamically tuned to an arbitrary small value in classes of scalar tensor theories. The trouble with such schemes is that effective gravity itself vanishes. We explore the possibility of…
Wheeler's spacetime foams (wormholes) at the Planck length undergo quantum nucleation, oscillation and annihilation. Their collective excitations over foamy spacetime interact with field operators at large distances. We describe such…
We use the S-matrix bootstrap to carve out the space of unitary, crossing symmetric and supersymmetric graviton scattering amplitudes in ten dimensions. We focus on the leading Wilson coefficient $\alpha$ controlling the leading correction…
Quantization of the time symmetric system of interacting strings requires that gravity, just as electromagnetism in Wheeler-Feynman's time symmetric electro- dynamics, also be an "adjunct field" instead of an independent entity. The…
String field theory is a candidate for a full non-perturbative definition of string theory. We aim to define string field theory on a space-time lattice to investigate its behaviour at the quantum level. Specifically, we look at string…
The existence of a new ultraviolet scale $\Lambda=g M_P$ for effective theories with gravity and U(1) gauge fields has recently been conjectured as a possible criterion for distinguishing parts of the swampland from the string landscape.…