Related papers: Vacuum Structure and Global Strings with Conical S…
We study the geometry generated by a massless cosmic string. We find that this is given by a Riemann flat spacetime with a conical singularity along the worldsheet of the string. The geometry of such a spacetime is completely fixed by the…
We consider an exotic `compactification' of spacetime in which there are two infinite extra dimensions, using a global string instead of a domain wall. By having a negative cosmological constant we prove the existence of a nonsingular…
The gravitational fields of vacuumless global and gauge strings have been studied in Brans-Dicke theory under the weak field assumption of the field equations. It has been shown that both global and gauge string can have repulsive as well…
We simulate the formation and the evolution of global strings taking into account the expansion of the universe and the concomitant change of the effective potential, that is, the change from the restoration stage of the global {\it…
We briefly review three aspects of string cosmology: (1) the ``stochastic'' approach to the pre-big bang scenario, (2) the presence of chaos in the generic cosmological solutions of the tree-level low-energy effective actions coming out 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…
A gravitational scenario is proposed where the euclidean action is invariant under the isotropic and homogeneous version of the euclidean {\it U(1)} group of local transformations of the scale factor and scalar matter field, interpreting…
We propose a new guiding principle for phenomenology: special geometry in the vacuum space. New algorithmic methods which efficiently compute geometric properties of the vacuum space of N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories are described. We…
Numerical methods have allowed the construction of vacuum non-uniform strings. For sufficient non-uniformity, the local geometry about the minimal horizon sphere (the "waist") was conjectured to be a cone metric. We are able to test this…
We study the interaction between two parallel cosmic strings induced by gauge fields and by scalar fields with non-minimal couplings to curvature. For small deficit angles the gauge field behaves like a collection of non-minimal scalars…
The model of cosmic string formed from two gravitating and interacting scalar fields is considered. It is shown that the regular solutions exist at special choice of the model's parameters only.
I briefly summarize a recent research program aiming to probe the landscape of low-energy phases of string theory from a global perspective. Borrowing conceptual lessons from the swampland program, I will discuss how the effective theories…
We consider the effective action for strings and describe in detail the evolution of a four dimensional homogeneous isotropic universe with matter included. We find that the evolution, which is singular in general, becomes singularity free…
Spacetime singularities are studied in both the $D+d$-dimensional string theory and its $D$-dimensional effective theory, obtained by the Kaluza-Klein compactification. It is found that spacetime singularities in the low dimensional…
We argue that in the context of string theory a large number N of connected degenerate vacua that mix will lead to a ground state with much lower energy, essentially because of the standard level repulsion of quantum theory for the…
We study cosmological solutions to the low-energy effective action of heterotic string theory including possible leading order $\alpha'$ corrections and a potential for the dilaton. We consider the possibility that including such stringy…
String theory is a quantum theory that reproduces the results of General Relativity at long distances but is completely different at short distances. Mathematically, string theory is based on a very new -- and little understood -- framework…
Misner space, also known as the Lorentzian orbifold $R^{1,1}/boost$, is one of the simplest examples of a cosmological singularity in string theory. In this work, the study of weakly coupled closed strings on this space is pursued in…
A natural consequence of string theory is a non-commutative structure of space-time on microscopic scales. The existence of a minimal length, and a modification of the effective field theory are two consequences of this space-time…
A generic form of low-energy effective action of superstring theories with one-loop quantum correction is well known. Based on this action we derive the complete perturbation equations and general analytic solutions in the cosmological…