Related papers: The no-ghost theorem for string theory in curved b…
We study field theoretical models for cosmic strings with flat directions in curved space-time. More precisely, we consider minimal models with semilocal, axionic and tachyonic strings, respectively. In flat space-time, the string solutions…
The $\mathbf{O}(D,D)$ covariant generalized metric, postulated as a truly fundamental variable, can describe novel geometries where the notion of Riemannian metric ceases to exist. Here we quantize a closed string upon such backgrounds and…
We generalize the vacuum static black strings with negative cosmological constant recently discussed in literature, by including an electromagnetic field. These higher-dimensional configurations have no dependence on the `compact' extra…
We discuss a possible mechanism to screen a cosmological constant in non-local gravity. We find that in a simple model of of non-local gravity with the Lagrangian of the form, $R+f(\Box^{-1}R)-2\Lambda$ where $f(X)$ is a quadratic function…
We study some of the novel properties of conformal field theories with noncompact target spaces as applied to string theory. Standard CFT results get corrected by boundary terms in the target space in a way consistent with the expected…
In absence of matter Einstein gravity with a cosmological constant $\La$ can be formulated as a scale-free theory depending only on the dimensionless coupling constant G \Lambda where G is Newton constant. We derive the conformal field…
Recently, Klemm and others [hep-th/0104141] have successfully generalized the Cardy-Verlinde formula for an asymptotically flat spacetime of arbitrary dimensionality. And yet, from a holographic perspective, the interpretation of this…
In a previous paper [9], we proved the following singularity theorem applicable to cosmological models with a positive cosmological constant: if a four-dimensional spacetime satisfying the null energy condition contains a compact Cauchy…
A framework for UV completing particle theories is proposed, based on the worldline formalism, which is equivalent to weighting all sums over histories with a proper-time dependent measure that has a smallest proper-time. We deduce a…
The bosonic representation of the half string ghost in the full string basis is examined in full. The proof that the comma 3- vertex (matter and ghost) in the bosonic representation satisfy the Ward-like identities is established thus…
It was recently found that there are classes of nonlocal gravity theories that are free of ghosts and singularities in their Newtonian limit [PRL, 108 (2012), 031101]. In these proceedings, a detailed and pedagogical derivation of a main…
We construct a supersymmetric (1+1)-dimensional field theory involving extra derivatives and associated ghosts: the spectrum of the Hamiltonian is not bounded from below, neither from above. In spite of that, there is neither classical, nor…
We explicitly construct the states of the 2d free boson on the infinite line with specified asymptotic charges. The Minkowski CFT states derive from (the analytic continuation of) the shrinking limit of Euclidean angular quantization,…
In this paper, we investigate three important issues: stability, ghost and strong coupling, in the Horava-Melby-Thompson setup of the Horava-Lifshitz theory with $\lambda \not= 1$, generalized recently by da Silva. We first develop the…
We study the null orbifold singularity in 2+1 d flat space higher spin theory as well as string theory. Using the Chern-Simons formulation of 2+1 d Einstein gravity, we first observe that despite the singular nature of this geometry, the…
It is shown that conformal matter with $c_{\ssc L}\not=c_{\ssc R}$ can be consistently coupled to two-dimensional `frame' gravity. The theory is quantized in conformal gauge, following David, and Distler and Kawai. There is no analogue of…
General Relativity (GR) is an effective field theory valid in the infrared regime. Quadratic curvature extensions intended to probe ultraviolet physics generically propagate a massive spin-$2$ ghost and are therefore non-unitary. One route…
This is a set of lectures on the gauge/string duality and non-critical strings, with a particular emphasis on the discretized, or matrix model, approach. After a general discussion of various points of view, I describe the recent…
Recently it was argued that gravity with the squire of the Ricci tensor can be stabilized by adding constraints to the theory. This was so far demonstrated for fluctuations on the Minkowski/de Sitter background. We show that the same scheme…
We discuss a new formalism for constructing a non-relativistic (NR) theory in curved background. Named as galilean gauge theory, it is based on gauging the global galilean symmetry. It provides a systematic algorithm for obtaining the…