Related papers: String Solitons
The strong coupling dynamics of string theories in dimension $d\geq 4$ are studied. It is argued, among other things, that eleven-dimensional supergravity arises as a low energy limit of the ten-dimensional Type IIA superstring, and that a…
Target space duality (T duality), which interchanges Kaluza--Klein and winding-mode excitations of the compactified heterotic string, is realized as a symmetry of a world-sheet action. Axion-dilaton duality (S duality), a conjectured…
It is shown that the scattering of spacetime axions with fivebrane solitons of heterotic string theory at zero momentum is proportional to the Donaldson polynomial.
$P$-brane solutions of low-energy string actions have traditionally provided the first evidence for the existence of string dualities, in which fundamental and solitonic $p$-branes are identified with perturbative and non-perturbative BPS…
Strings in $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetric ${\rm U}(1)^N$ gauge theories with $N$ hypermultiplets are studied in the generic setting of an arbitrary Fayet-Iliopoulos triplet of parameters for each gauge group and an invertible charge matrix.…
It is argued that the type IIA 10-dimensional superstring theory is actually a compactified 11-dimensional supermembrane theory in which the fundamental supermembrane is identified with the the solitonic membrane of 11-dimensional…
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 region of moduli space of string theories which is most likely to describe the "real world" is where the string coupling is about unity and the volume of extra compact dimensions is about the same size as the string volume. Here we map…
Different compactifications of six-dimensional string theory on $M_4 \times T^2$ are considered. Particular attention is given to the roles of the reduced modes as the $S$ and $T$ fields. It is shown that there is a discrete group of…
String theory and supersymmetry are theoretical ideas that go beyond the standard model of particle physics and show promise for unifying all forces. After a brief introduction to supersymmetry, we discuss the prospects for its experimental…
We discuss the predictions of S-duality for the monopole spectrum of four-dimensional heterotic string theory resulting from toroidal compactification. We discuss in detail the spectrum of "H-monopoles", states that are magnetically charged…
We review electric/magnetic duality in $N=4$ (and certain $N=2$) globally supersymmetric gauge theories and show how this duality, which relates strong to weak coupling, follows as a consequence of a string/string duality. Black holes,…
The investigation of strings and M-theory involves the understanding of various BPS solitons which in a certain approximation can be thought of as solutions of ten- and eleven-dimensional supergravity theories. These solitons have a brane…
String theory avoids the ultraviolet infinities that arise in trying to quantize gravity. It is also more predictive than conventional quantum field theory, one aspect of this being the way that it contributed to the emergence of the…
The tachyon-free nonsupersymmetric string theories in ten dimensions have dilaton tadpoles which forbid a Minkowski vacuum. We determine the maximally symmetric backgrounds for the $USp(32)$ Type I string and the $SO(16)\times SO(16)$…
We study the BPS black hole solutions of the (truncated) action for heterotic string theory compactified on a six-torus. The O(3,Z) duality symmetry of the theory, together with the bound state interpretation of extreme black holes, is used…
We construct a solitonic 3-brane solution in the 5-dimensional Einstein-Hilbert-Gauss-Bonnet theory. This solitonic brane is delta-function like, and has the property that gravity is completely localized on the brane. That is, there are no…
We establish a relation, conjectured recently by E. Witten, between the hypermultiplet moduli space in compactifications of the heterotic string on an A-D-E singularities, and the moduli spaces of three dimensional pure gauge theories with…
In recent work Kachru, Kumar and Silverstein introduced a special class of non-supersymmetric type II string theories in which the cosmological constant vanishes at the first two orders of perturbation theory. Heuristic arguments suggest…
These lectures intend to give a pedagogical introduction into some of the developments in string theory during the last years. They include perturbative T-duality and non perturbative S- and U-dualities, their unavoidable demand for…