Related papers: Strings from Nambu-Goto to Polyakov and back
Over fourty years ago, the physicist Polyakov proposed a bold framework for string theory, in which the problem was reduced to the study of certain "random surfaces". He further made the tantalising suggestion that this theory could be…
In this brief, and by no means complete, review I discuss situations in string theory, in which Lorentz Invariance Violation may occur in a way consistent with world-sheet conformal invariance, thereby leading to acceptable, in principle,…
Cosmic strings are predicted by many Standard Model extensions involving the cosmological breaking of a symmetry with nontrivial first homotopy group and represent a potential source of primordial gravitational waves (GWs). Present efforts…
Talk given at the 26th Workshop: ``From Superstrings to Supergravity" Erice - Sicily, 5-12 December 1992: In this talk we discuss string consistency requirements on four dimensional string models, namely the cancellation of target space…
We consider, in a string theory framework, physical processes of phenomenological interest in models with a low string scale. The amplitudes we study involve tree-level virtual gravitational exchange, divergent in a field-theoretical…
We propose an off-shell bosonic string action that removes the renormalization window constraint of [1]. To all orders in conformal perturbation theory, this action allows for deformations of the worldsheet theory by any primary or…
These lectures are devoted to introducing some of the basic features of quantum geometry that have been emerging from compactified string theory over the last couple of years. The developments discussed include new geometric features of…
We extend earlier ideas about the appearance of noncommutative geometry in string theory with a nonzero B-field. We identify a limit in which the entire string dynamics is described by a minimally coupled (supersymmetric) gauge theory on a…
The 26 dimensional bosonic string, first suggested by Nambu and Goto, is reduced to a four dimensional superstring by using two species of 6 and 5 Majorana fermions as proposed by Deo. These two species of fermions differ in their…
In this talk, I discuss recent developments concerning the possibility of large extra spacetime dimensions. After briefly reviewing how such dimensions can lower the fundamental GUT, Planck, and string scales, I then outline how these…
We discuss aspects of global and gauged symmetries in quantum field theory and quantum gravity, focusing on discrete gauge symmetries. An effective Lagrangian description of $\Z_p$ gauge theories shows that they are associated with an…
I review some aspects of non-critical strings in connection with Lorentz-Invariance violating approaches to quantum gravity. I also argue how non-critical strings may provide a unifying framework where string Cosmology and quantum gravity…
Fractional superstrings are non-trivial generalizations of ordinary superstrings and heterotic strings, and have critical spacetime dimensions which are less than ten by virtue of a worldsheet fractional supersymmetry relating worldsheet…
We study the space-time invariances of the bosonic relativistic particle and bosonic relativistic string using general formulations obtained by incorporating the Hamiltonian constraints into the formalism. We point out that massless…
I present a short review of our results with S.Kharchev, A.Mironov, A.Morozov and A.Zabrodin on Generalized Kontsevich model which in a sense can be interpreted as unifying ``string field theory'' for $c < 1$ minimal series coupled to 2d…
We develop a novel approach to non-relativistic closed bosonic string theory that is based on a string $1/c^2$ expansion of the relativistic string, where $c$ is the speed of light. This approach has the benefit that one does not need to…
We consider a bosonic string propagating in 4--dim Minkowski space. We show that in the orthonormal gauge the classical system exhibits a hidden $W_{\infty}$ chiral symmetry, arising from the equivalence of its transverse modes with the…
We present perturbative calculation of the width of the energy profile of rigid strings up to two loops in D dimensions. The perturbative expansion of the extrinsic curvature term signifying the rigidity/smoothness of the string in…
We analyse divergences of the scalar curvature $R$ of the vector multiplet moduli space of type IIA string theory compactified on a Calabi--Yau $X$, along infinite-distance large volume limits. Extending previous results, we classify the…
We discuss the duality between two type I compactifications to four dimensions and an heterotic construction with spontaneous breaking of the N=4 supersymmetry to N=2. This duality allows us to gain insight into the non-perturbative…