Related papers: Chiral Rings in Topological (W-)Gravity
An explicitly exact superconformal description is provided to some classes of Type II string theories in non constant RR backgrounds. This is done by applying the manifest (2,2) approach of Berkovits and Maldacena to Type II strings and by…
Preliminary investigations of the topological phase of string theory along the lines of a (restricted) $\dot{w}_{\infty}$ non-linear sigma model are provided. Gauge fixing the w gravity gauge fields by preserving a geometric identity Lorenz…
In these lectures, two different aspects of brane world scenarios in 5d gravity or string theory are discussed. In the first two lectures, work on how warped compactifications of 5d gravity theories can change the guise of the hierarchy…
A worldsheet realization of the refined topological string is proposed in terms of physical string amplitudes that compute generalized N=2 F-terms of the form F_{g,n} W^{2g}Y^{2n} in the effective supergravity action. These terms involve…
In this thesis we investigate topological aspects and arithmetic structures in quantum field theory and string theory. Particular focus is put on consistent truncations of supergravity and compactifications of F-theory.
In this lecture I summarize recent developments on strings propagating in curved spacetime. Exact conformal field theories that describe gravitational backgrounds such as black holes and more intricate gravitational singularities have been…
Large $N$ matrix models modified by terms of the form $ g(\Tr\Phi^n)^2$ generate random surfaces which touch at isolated points. Matrix model results indicate that, as $g$ is increased to a special value $g_t$, the string susceptibility…
We follow the point of view that superstring theory, as the theory of quantum gravity in the number of spacetime dimensions bigger than 4, serves as mathematics for both, 4 dimensional QG and exotic smoothness on open 4-manifolds.…
A string-theoretic structure of the standard model is defined having a 4-D quantum gravity metric consistent with topological and algebraic first principles. Unique topological diagrams of string states, strong and weak interactions and…
We present a classical conformal field theory on an arbitrary two-dimensional spacetime background. The dynamical object is a space-filling string, and the evolution may be thought as occurring on the manifold of the conformal group. The…
We consider an extension of a special class of conformal sigma models (`chiral null models') which describe extreme supersymmetric string solutions. The new models contain both `left' and `right' vector couplings and should correspond to…
Lectures given at the Trieste Summer School, 1992. These notes are an update of my review article "Classical and Quantum W-Gravity", preprint QMW-92-1, published in in "Strings and Symmetries 1991", with some extra material on W-geometry,…
I review recent progress on the connection between string theory and quantum chromodynamics in the context of the gauge/gravity duality. Emphasis is placed on conciseness and conceptual aspects rather than on technical details. Topics…
We discuss some of the key topological aspects of a two $(1+1)$-dimensional (2D) self-interacting non-Abelian gauge theory (having no interaction with matter fields) in the framework of {\it chiral} superfield formalism. We provide the…
We construct solutions of type IIB supergravity with non-trivial Ramond-Ramond 5-form in ten dimensions by replacing the transverse flat space of pp-wave backgrounds with exact $N=(4,4)$ $c=4$ superconformal field theory blocks. These…
We argue that the six-dimensional (2,0) superconformal theory defined on M \times C, with M being a four-manifold and C a Riemann surface, can be twisted in a way that makes it topological on M and holomorphic on C. Assuming the existence…
We propose a new superspace formulation for N=(4,4) conformal supergravity in two dimensions. This is based on a geometry where the structure group of the curved superspace is chosen to be SO(1,1) x SU(2)_L x SU(2)_R. The off-shell…
We construct the exceptional sigma model: a two-dimensional sigma model coupled to a supergravity background in a manifestly (formally) $E_{D(D)}$-covariant manner. This formulation of the background is provided by Exceptional Field Theory…
The phenomenological aspects of string theory are briefly reviewed. Emphasis is given to the status of 4D string model building, effective Lagrangians, model independent results, supersymmetry breaking and duality symmetries.
We study two-dimensional Liouville gravity and minimal string theory on spaces with fixed length boundaries. We find explicit formulas describing the gravitational dressing of bulk and boundary correlators in the disk. Their structure has a…