Related papers: Massive string modes and non-singular pre-big-bang…
Assuming that the early universe had (i) a description using perturbative string theory and its field theory limit (ii) an epoch of slow-roll inflation within a four-dimensional effective field theory and a hierarchy of scales $M_{inf} <…
The moduli of N=1 compactifications of IIB string theory can be stabilized by a combination of fluxes (which freeze complex structure moduli and the dilaton) and nonperturbative superpotentials (which freeze Kahler moduli), typically…
Axion strings are horizon-size topological defects that may be produced in the early Universe. Ultra-light axion-like particles may form strings that persist to temperatures below that of big bang nucleosynthesis. Such strings have been…
In the modified measure formulation the string tension appear as an additional dynamical degree of freedom and these tensions are not universal, but rather each string generates its own tension, which can have a different value for each…
We discuss the possibility of a smooth transition from the pre- to the post-big bang regime, in the context of the lowest-order string effective action (without higher-derivative corrections), taking into account with a phenomenological…
A rotating black hole threaded by an infinitely long cosmic string is studied in the framework of the Abelian Higgs model. We show that contrary to a common belief, in the presence of rotation the backreaction of the string does not induce…
Cosmic strings with small-scale structure have a coarse-grained mass per unit length $\mu$ which is larger than the string tension. This leads to an effective Newtonian gravitational line source and to a characteristic translational…
We consider the construction of nonsingular Pre-Big-Bang and Ekpyrotic type cosmological models realized by the addition to the action of specific higher-order terms stemming from quantum corrections. We study models involving general…
In the context of Type-IIA String Theory compactified to four dimensions on a Calabi-Yau manifold (CY), we study the effect of considering perturbative and non-perturbative corrections (in alpha prime) to the prepotential of the resulting…
Ho$\check{\textbf{r}}$ava proposed a non-relativistic renormalizable theory of gravitation, which is reduced to general relativity (GR) in large distances (infra-red regime (IR)). It is believed that this theory is an ultra-violet (UV)…
Focusing on a string-hole gas within the pre-big bang scenario, we study the stability of its solutions in the phase space. We firstly extend the analysis present in the literature relaxing the ideal-gas properties of the string-hole gas,…
Extracting reliable low-energy information from string compactifications notoriously requires a detailed understanding of the UV sensitivity of the corresponding effective field theories. Despite past efforts in computing perturbative…
We study non-gaussianity effects, using the $\delta N$ formalism, in a multi-field inflationary model consisting of K\"ahler moduli derived from type IIB string compactification in the large volume limit. The analytical work in this paper…
The one-plaquette Hamiltonian of large N lattice gauge theory offers a constructive model of a $1+1$-dimensional string theory with a stable ground state. The free energy is found to be equivalent to the partition function of a string where…
The r\^ole of string loop corrections on the existence of de Sitter vacua and the moduli stabilization problem is examined in type IIB effective theories. The fundamental building blocks are a minimum of three intersecting D7 brane stacks,…
We study the evolution of cosmic strings taking into account the frictional force due to the surrounding radiation. We consider small perturbations on straight strings, oscillation of circular loops and small perturbations on circular…
The recent progress in embedding inflation in string theory has made it clear that the problem of moduli stabilization cannot be ignored in this context. In many models a special role is played by the volume modulus, which is modified in…
This article represents the author's PhD thesis which is focused on moduli stabilisation in type IIB Calabi-Yau flux compactifications and its applications to cosmology. I derive the topological conditions on an arbitrary Calabi-Yau to give…
The thermodynamics of type IIB superstring theory in the maximally supersymmetric plane wave background is studied. We compute the thermodynamic partition function for non-interacting strings exactly and the result differs slightly from…
It is well known that the $\Lambda$-term is a very good candidate for the smooth component of the universe since it resolves the so-called ``$\Omega$-problem'' giving, at the same time, sufficiently large age of the universe. However, the…