Related papers: Hyperbolic Space Forms and Orbifold Compactificati…
We describe string-theory and $d=11$ supergravity solutions involving symmetric spaces of constant negative curvature. Many examples of non-supersymmetric string compactifications on hyperbolic spaces $H_r$ of finite volume are given in…
In this paper, we consider solutions and spectral functions of M-theory from Milne spaces with extra free dimensions. Conformal deformations to the metric associated with the real hyperbolic space forms are derived. For the…
Negatively-curved, maximally symmetric hyperbolic spaces enjoy a number of remarkable properties that can be traced back to Riemannian geometry, group theory and algebraic geometry. In this note we recall some such properties and find $H_n$…
This monograph is an updated and extended version of the author's PhD thesis. It consists of an introductory text followed by two separate parts which are loosely related but may be read independently of each other. In Part I we analyze…
In this thesis we study string compactifications on manifolds equipped with a $G$-structure, placing a special emphasis on the interplay between geometry and physics. We follow two complementary approaches. In the first part of the thesis…
In this thesis, we explore two approaches to string phenomenology. In the first half of the work, we investigate M-theory compactifications on spaces with co-dimension four, orbifold singularities. We construct M-theory on C^2/Z_N by…
We consider string/M-theory reductions on a compact space $X=X^\text{loc} \cup X^\circ$, where $X^\text{loc}$ contains the singular locus, and $X^\circ$ its complement. For the resulting supergravity theories, we construct a suitable…
After a short introduction to Matrix theory, we explain how can one generalize matrix models to describe toroidal compactifications of M-theory and the heterotic vacua with 16 supercharges. This allows us, for the first time in history, to…
We investigate orbifold compactifications of the heterotic string, addressing in detail their construction, classification and phenomenological potential. We present a strategy to search for models resembling the minimal supersymmetric…
In this talk I summarize several recent results concerning the four-dimensional effective supergravity obtained using a Calabi-Yau compactification of the $E_8\times E_8$ heterotic string from M-theory. A simple macroscopic study is…
The R^4-type corrections to ten and eleven dimensional supergravity required by string and M-theory imply corrections to supersymmetric supergravity compactifications on manifolds of special holonomy, which deform the metric away from the…
The condition of having an $N=1$ spacetime supersymmetry for heterotic string leads to 4 distinct possibilities for compactifications namely compactifications down to 6,4,3 and 2 dimensions. Compactifications to 6 and 4 dimensions have been…
We show that the large $N$ limit of certain conformal field theories in various dimensions include in their Hilbert space a sector describing supergravity on the product of Anti-deSitter spacetimes, spheres and other compact manifolds. This…
We review the holographic correspondence between field theories and string/M theory, focusing on the relation between compactifications of string/M theory on Anti-de Sitter spaces and conformal field theories. We review the background for…
We study the origins of the five ten-dimensional ``matrix superstring'' theories, supplementing old results with new ones, and find that they all fit into a unified framework. In all cases the matrix definition of the string in the limit of…
The space-time dimensions transverse to a static straight cosmic string with a sufficiently large tension (supermassive cosmic strings) are compact and typically have a singularity at a finite distance form the core. In this paper, we…
This thesis is almost entirely devoted to studying string theory backgrounds characterized by simple geometrical and integrability properties. The archetype of this type of system is given by Wess-Zumino-Witten models, describing string…
The symmetric spaces that appear as moduli spaces in string theory and supergravity can be decomposed with explicit metrics using parabolic subgroups. The resulting isometry between the original moduli space and this decomposition can be…
We review cosmological solutions of type II superstrings and M-theory, emphasizing the role of non-vanishing Ramond form backgrounds. Compactifications on flat and, more generally, maximally symmetric spatial subspaces are presented. We…
We review work done over the last years on the macroscopic and microscopic entropy of supersymmetric black holes in fourdimensional N=2 supergravity and in N=2 compactifications of string theory and M-theory. Particular emphasis is put on…