Related papers: Fundamental Strings and Cosmology
The standard interpretation of the observed redshifted spectra and luminosities towards distant astrophysical objects is that the universe is expanding, an inference which is found to be consistent with other cosmological probes as well.…
We obtain the equations of motion for cosmic strings in extensions of the 3+1 FRW model with extra dimensions. From these we derive a generalisation of the Velocity-dependent One-Scale (VOS) model for cosmic string network evolution which…
It has recently been realised that strings with time-dependent tensions exhibit interesting dynamics; in particular, when the tension decreases loops of string can grow and possibly percolate. We extend previous analytic studies of strings…
The properties of a string-inspired two-dimensional theory of gravity are studied. The post-Newtonian and weak-field approximations, `stellar' structure and cosmological solutions of this theory are developed. Some qualitative similarities…
We argue that the space-time uncertainty relation of the form $\Delta X \Delta T \gtrsim \alpha'$ for the observability of the distances with respect to time, $\Delta T$, and space, $\Delta X$, is universally valid in string theory…
The geometric properties of spacetimes representing expanding impulsive gravitational waves, propagating on a flat background and generated by snapped cosmic strings, are studied. The construction of the line element is reviewed, and…
Macroscopic fundamental and Dirichlet strings have several potential instabilities: breakage, tachyon decays, and confinement by axion domain walls. We investigate the conditions under which metastable strings can exist, and we find that…
The idea of extra-dimensions has recently gone through a renewal with the hypothesis, suggested by recent developments in string theory, that ordinary matter is confined to a sub-space, called brane, embedded in a higher dimensional…
This article reviews recent developments in the study of universes with a positive cosmological constant in string theory.
It is shown by very simple arguments that the observed 3+1 dimensionality of spacetime may be understood on the basis of four fundamental principles of physics namely, Causality, General Covariance, Gauge Invariance and Renormalizability.…
The idea that the vacuum energy density $\rho_{\Lambda}$ could be time dependent is a most reasonable one in the expanding Universe; in fact, much more reasonable than just a rigid cosmological constant for the entire cosmic history. Being…
We describe cosmic D--term strings as D3 branes wrapped on a resolved conifold. The matter content that gives rise to D--term strings is shown to describe the world--volume theory of a space--filling D3 brane transverse to the conifold…
Recent developments in string inspired models of inflation suggest that D-strings are formed at the end of inflation. Within the supergravity model of D-strings there are 2(n-1) chiral fermion zero modes for a D-string of winding n. Using…
In these lectures I discuss the possibility that superstrings of cosmic length might exist and be observable. I first review the original idea of cosmic strings arising as gauge theory solitons, and discuss in particular their network…
In the context of a cosmological string model describing the propagation of strings in a time-dependent Robertson-Walker background space-time, we show that the asymptotic acceleration of the Universe can be identified with the square of…
Recently, many works have tried to realize cosmological accelerated expansion in string theory models in the asymptotic regions of field space, with a typical scalar potential $V(\varphi)$ having an exponential fall-off $e^{-\gamma\,…
The collision of plane waves corresponding to massless states of closed string is considered in $D$-dimensional space-time. The reduced tree level effective action is known to be manifestly $O(d,d)$ invariant, $d$ being the number of…
Cosmic strings provide a radically different paradigm for the formation of structure to the prevailing inflationary one. They afford some extra technical complications: for example, the calculation of the power spectrum of matter and…
In this paper we present the equations of the evolution of the universe in $D$ spatial dimensions, as a generalization of the work of Lima \citep{lima}. We discuss the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmological equations in $D$ spatial…
A range of cosmological observations demonstrate an accelerated expansion of the Universe, and the most likely explanation of this phenomenon is a cosmological constant. Given the importance of understanding the underlying physics, it is…