Related papers: Beyond Space-Time
This paper explores infrared quantum effects in the de Sitter space. The notion of "eternal manifolds" is introduced and it is shown that in most cases the de Sitter space doesn't belong to this class. It is unstable under small…
The brief review of the duality between gauge theories and closed strings propagating in the curved space is based on the lectures given at ITEP Winter School - 2005
Duality groups of Abelian gauge theories on four manifolds and their reduction to two dimensions are considered. The duality groups include elements that relate different space-times in addition to relating different gauge-coupling…
General ideas of gauge/gravity duality allow for the possibility of time dependent solutions that interpolate between a perturbative gauge theory phase and a weakly curved string/gravity phase. Such a scenario applied to cosmology would…
Three subjects are considered here: a self-dual non-critical string that appears in Type IIB superstring theory at points in ${\rm K3}$ moduli space where the Type IIA theory has extended gauge symmetry; a conformal field theory singularity…
We show the existence of solitonic solutions of five-dimensional supergravity, which can be interpreted as global cosmic strings in our universe. They possess the same mathematical structure as the stringy cosmic strings studied by Greene,…
Versions of M-theory are found in spacetime signatures (9,2) and (6,5), in addition to the usual M-theory in 10+1 dimensions, and these give rise to type IIA string theories in 10-dimensional spacetime signatures (10,0),(9,1),(8,2),(6,4)…
We consider the problem of extremizing the tension for BPS strings in D=6 supergravities with different number of supersymmetries. General formulae for fixed scalars and a discussion of degenerate directions is given. Quantized moduli,…
We review some aspects of moduli in string theory. We argue that one should focus on {\it approximate moduli spaces}, and that there is evidence that such spaces exist non-perturbatively. We ask what it would mean for string theory to…
The AdS/CFT correspondence, or more generally the gauge/gravity duality, is a remarkable conjecture obtained from superstring theory with various D-brane backgrounds. According to this conjecture, a higher-dimensional curved space-time…
An overview is presented of some cosmological aspects of string theory. Recent developments are emphasised, especially the attempts to derive inflation or alternatives to inflation from the dynamics of branes in string theory. Time…
We study Abelian strings in a fixed de Sitter background. We find that the gauge and Higgs fields extend smoothly across the cosmological horizon and that the string solutions have oscillating scalar fields outside the cosmological horizon…
We review the present status of gauge theories built on various quantum space-times described by noncommutative space-times. The mathematical tools and notions underlying their construction are given. Different formulations of gauge theory…
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 consider new cosmological solutions with a collapsing, an intermediate and an expanding phase. The boundary between the expanding (collapsing) phase and the intermediate phase is seen by comoving observers as a cosmological past (future)…
In this thesis the cosmological constant is investigated from two points of view. First, we study the influence of a time-dependent cosmological constant on the late-time expansion of the universe. Thereby, we consider several combinations…
We discuss some aspects of the relation between dualities and gauge symmetries. Both of these ideas are of course multi-faceted, and we confine ourselves to making two points. Both points are about dualities in string theory, and both have…
Finding four-dimensional de Sitter spacetime solutions in string theory has been a vexing quest ever since the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the universe. Building on a recent analysis of bubble-nucleation in the decay of…
We outline the evaluation of the cosmological constant in the framework of the standard field-theoretical treatment of vacuum energy and discuss the relation between the vacuum energy problem and the gauge-group spontaneous symmetry…
This report presents some studies of the gauge/string theory correspondence, a deep relation that is possible to establish between quantum field theories with local gauge symmetry and superstring theories including gravity. In its original…