Related papers: S-Duality and Cosmological Constant in String Theo…
We consider an action which consists of two terms: the first S_{1}=\int L_{1}\Phi d^{4}x and the second S_{2}=\int L_{2}\sqrt{-g}d^{4}x where \Phi is a measure which has to be determined dynamically. S_{1} satisfies the requirement that the…
A supersymmetric approach to string quantum cosmology based on the non-compact, global duality symmetries of the effective action is developed. An N=2 supersymmetric action is derived whose bosonic component is the…
The principle of S-duality is used to incorporate gaugino condensates into effective supergravity (superstring) Lagrangians. We discuss two implementations of S-duality which differ in the way the coupling constant is transformed. Both…
String theory requires two kinds of loop expansion: classical $(\alpha')$ worldsheet loops with expansion parameter $<T>$ where $T$ is a modulus field, and quantum $(\hbar)$ spacetime loops with expansion parameter $<S>$ where $S$ is the…
A general no-go theorem dampens hope that the cosmological constant problem can be solved by a local symmetry mechanism. The possibility is considered here that this no-go theorem can be avoided by a pseudo-symmetry. A simple macroscopic…
We review various aspects of de Sitter spacetime in string theory: its status as an effective field theory spacetime solution, its relation to the vacuum energy problem in string theory, its (global) holographic definition in terms of two…
We reanalyze the problem of the cosmological constant associated with the phase transition in a self-interacting scalar theory. It is pointed out that the generally accepted ``triviality'' of $(\lambda\Phi^4)_4$ implies a first-order phase…
It is proposed that $S$-duality is a fundamental symmetry of nature which is spontaneously broken. Axion and dilaton are identified with the doublet of the $S$-duality symmetry group $SL(2,\mathbbm{R})$. The symmetry is broken at a high…
We consider further consequences of recently [1] revealed role of cosmological constant \Lambda as of a physical constant, along with the gravitational one to define the gravity i.e. the General Relativity and its low-energy limit. We now…
We formulate sigma-model duality transformations in terms of spin connection. This allows to investigate the symmetry of the string action including higher order $\alpha'$ corrections. An important feature of the new duality transformations…
Toroidal backgrounds for bosonic strings are used to understand target space duality as a symmetry of string field theory and to study explicitly issues in background independence. Our starting point is the notion that the string field…
This is the written version of a talk given at the Santa Barbara Workshop on Supersymmetry in December of 1995. It summarizes a collection of results on superstring cosmology obtained by the author and various collaborators, and contains…
The electric-magnetic duality transformation in four dimensional heterotic string theory discussed by Shapere, Trivedi and Wilczek is shown to be an exact symmetry of the equations of motion of low energy effective field theory even after…
We study the classical cosmic string solution in a theory with dynamical $U(1)$ symmetry breaking. We calculate the energy per unit length of the string and compare it to that obtained in a model with a fundamental Higgs. We find that the…
The cosmological constant is normally introduced as an additional term entering the Einstein-Hilbert (EH) action. In this letter we demonstrate that instead, it appears naturally from the standard EH action as an invariant term emerging…
The cosmological constant problem is turned around to argue for a new foundational physics postulate underlying a consistent quantum theory of gravity and matter, such as string theory. This postulate is a quantum equivalence principle…
We consider the T-duality transformations of the low-energy quantum string theory effective action in the presence of classical fundamental string source and demonstrate explicitly that T-duality still holds.
We review some formal aspects of cosmological solutions in closed string theory with duality symmetric ``matter'' following recent paper with C. Vafa (HUTP-91/A049). We consider two models : when the matter action is the classical action of…
The Cosmological Constant Problem is re-examined from an effective field theory perspective. While the connection between gravity and particle physics has not been experimentally probed in the quantum regime, it is severely constrained by…
S-dualities in scale invariant N=2 supersymmetric field theories are derived by embedding those theories in asymptotically free N=2 theories with higher rank gauge groups. S-duality transformations on the coupling of the scale invariant…