Related papers: Topological Gravity, the Hierarchy Problem and Axi…
String backgrounds are described as purely geometric objects related to moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces, in the spirit of Segal's definition of a conformal field theory. Relations with conformal field theory, topological field theory and…
Consistency of Weyl natural gauge, Lorentz gauge and nonlinear gauge is studied in Weyl geometry. Field equations in generalized Weyl-Dirac theory show that spinless electron and photon are topological defects. Statistical metric and…
In a recent work, Tachikawa and Zhang proved the existence of a discrete topological term in the unique non-supersymmetric heterotic string with no tachyons in ten dimensions. This theory features NS5-branes, whose chiral degrees of freedom…
We present the superfield generalization of free higher spin equations in tensorial superspaces and analyze tensorial supergravities with GL(n) and SL(n) holonomy as a possible framework for the construction of a non-linear higher spin…
We study some phenomenological implications of models where the scale of quantum gravity effects lies much below the four-dimensional Planck scale. These models arise from M-theory vacua where either the internal space volume is large or…
We study orbifolds of two-dimensional topological field theories using defects. If the TFT arises as the twist of a superconformal field theory, we recover results on the Neveu-Schwarz and Ramond sectors of the orbifold theory as well as…
In brane world scenarios with a bulk scalar field between two branes it is known that 4-dimensional Einstein gravity is restored at low energies on either brane. By using a gauge-invariant gravitational and scalar perturbation formalism we…
One of the most intriguing aspects of Chern-Simons-type topological models is the fractional statistics of point particles which has been shown essential for our understanding of the fractional quantum Hall effects. Furthermore these ideas…
The axion is a light pseudoscalar particle postulated to solve issues with the Standard Model, including the strong CP problem and the origin of dark matter. In recent years, there has been remarkable progress in the physics of axions in…
The effective four-dimensional, linearised gravity of a Randall-Sundrum-like brane world model is analysed. The model includes higher order curvature terms (such as the Gauss-Bonnet term) and a scalar field. The resulting brane worlds can…
The coupling problem of higher spin fields with a non dynamical background is revisited, focussing our attention in 2+1 dimensional space-time. Starting with a suitable Lagrangian field formulation, we study causality and the conservation…
We propose a supergravity inspired derivation of a Randall-Sundrum's type action as an effective description of the dynamics of a brane coupled to the bulk through gravity only. The cosmological constants in the bulk and on the brane appear…
We consider the $(p+2)$-dimensional gauged supergravities arising as a consistent truncation of type II on $S^{8-p}$, which are associated with the near-horizon limit of D$p$-branes, for $p=2,4,5,6$ (and NS5-branes for $p=5$). In a…
We review the status of electric/magnetic duality for free gauge field theories in four space-time dimensions with emphasis on Maxwell theory and linearized Einstein gravity. Using the theory of vector and tensor spherical harmonics, we…
We investigate a formulation of continuum 4d gravity in terms of a constrained topological (BF) theory, in the spirit of the Plebanski formulation, but involving only linear constraints, of the type used recently in the spin foam approach…
We develop techniques to compute higher loop string amplitudes for twisted $N=2$ theories with $\hat c=3$ (i.e. the critical case). An important ingredient is the discovery of an anomaly at every genus in decoupling of BRST trivial states,…
We show that the five-dimensional Maxwell theory with the Chern-Simons term is tachyonic in the presence of a constant electric field. When coupled to gravity, a sufficiently large Chern-Simons coupling causes instability of the…
In spacetime dimensions of 4 (i.e., 3+1) and higher, topological orders exhibit spatially extended excitations like loops and membranes, which support diverse topological data characterizing braiding, fusion, and shrinking processes,…
Over the last few years several extra-dimensional models have been introduced in attempt to deal with the hierarchy problem. These models can lead to rather unique and spectacular signatures at Terascale colliders such as the LHC and ILC.…
The Randall-Sundrum model of warped geometry in a five-dimensional scenario, aimed at explaining the hierarchy between the Planck and electroweak scales, is intrinsically unstable in its minimal form due to negative tension of the visible…