Related papers: Small Instantons in String Theory
The weakly coupled vacuum of $E_8\otimes E_8$ heterotic string theory remains an attractive scenario for particle physics. The particle spectrum and the issue of dilaton stabilization are reviewed. A specific model for hidden sector…
We study the properties of classical vortex solutions in a non-Abelian gauge theory. A system of two adjoint Higgs fields breaks the SU(2) gauge symmetry to $Z_2$, producing 't Hooft-Polyakov monopoles trapped on cosmic strings, termed…
We study the formation of gravitating global strings through quantum mechanical tunneling. The instantons that describe the nucleation process are characterized by two parameters: the string core thickness and its gravitational backreaction…
A previous analysis of possible constraints of Yang-Mills instantons in the presence of spontaneous symmetry breaking is extended to supersymmetric QCD. It is again found that a constraint is necessary for the gauge field in second and…
We show that the classical equations of motion of the low-energy effective field theory describing the massless modes of the heterotic (or type I) string admit two classes of supersymmetric self--dual backgrounds. The first class, which was…
The Hamiltonian analysis of Polyakov action is reviewed putting emphasis in two topics: Dirac observables and gauge conditions. In the case of the closed string it is computed the change of its action induced by the gauge transformation…
We discuss three classes of solitonic solutions in string theory: instantons, monopoles and string-like solitons. Instantons may provide a nonperturbative understanding of the vacuum structure of string theory, while monopoles may appear in…
We present the first examples of cosmological solutions to four-dimensional heterotic models which include an evolving bundle modulus. The particular bundle modulus we consider corresponds to the width of a gauge five brane. As such our…
D-brane instantons can perturb the quantum field theories on space-time filling D-branes by interesting operators. In some cases, these D-brane instantons are novel "stringy" effects (not interpretable directly as instanton effects in the…
We derive the precise relation between level matching condition and fractional instanton numbers in six dimensional, abelian and supersymmetric orbifolds of E8 x E8 heterotic string theory. The fractional part of the two E8 instanton…
Non-perturbative effects of instanton-like solutions are studied within the framework of supergravity theories with field-dependent gauge functions. Fermionic zero modes are constructed and some typical correlation functions are evaluated.…
We study string theory in supersymmetric time-dependent backgrounds. In the framework of general relativity, supersymmetry for spacetimes without flux implies the existence of a covariantly constant null vector, and a relatively simple form…
We attempt to understand the fate of spacelike gravitational singularities in string theory via the quantum stress tensor for string matter in a fixed background. We first approximate the singularity with a homogeneous anisotropic…
We explore 6d (1,0) superconformal field theories with SU(3) and SU(2) gauge symmetries which cascade after Higgsing to the E-string theory on a single M5 near an $E_8$ wall. Specifically, we study the 2d $\mathcal{N}=(0,4)$ gauge theories…
The small instanton transition of a five-brane colliding with one end of the S1/Z2 interval in heterotic M-theory is discussed, with emphasis on the transition moduli, their potential function and the associated non-perturbative…
We calculate gauge instanton corrections to a class of higher derivative string effective couplings introduced in [1]. We work in Type I string theory compactified on K3xT2 and realise gauge instantons in terms of D5-branes wrapping the…
The Higgs quartic coupling has now been indirectly measured at the electroweak scale. Assuming no new low-scale physics, its running is known and, together with gauge and Yukawa couplings, it is a crucial new piece of information…
We show that $1+1$ dimensional vacua of the $(0,2)$ heterotic string have many properties in common with more recently studied physical systems. The free theory exhibits a symmetric product CFT structure. The single-string Hilbert space…
The discovery of the Higgs boson at the LHC supports the hypothesis that the Standard Model provides an effective parameterisation of all subatomic experimental data up to the Planck scale. String theory, which provides a viable…
We discuss compactifications of heterotic string theory to four dimensions in the presence of H-fluxes, which deform the geometry of the internal manifold, and a gaugino condensate which breaks supersymmetry. We focus on the compensation of…