Related papers: String Theory and the Path to Unification: A Revie…
We define string geometry: spaces of superstrings including the interactions, their topologies, charts, and metrics. Trajectories in asymptotic processes on a space of strings reproduce the right moduli space of the super Riemann surfaces…
These lectures begin with a brief introduction to the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) and the various mechanisms for hidden sector supersymmetry breaking and go on to provide a pedagogical discussion of the various kinds of…
Superstring theory, and a recent extension called M theory, are leading candidates for a quantum theory that unifies gravity with the other forces. As such, they are certainly not ordinary quantum field theories. However, recent duality…
Over the last few years, string theory has changed profoundly. Most importantly, novel duality relations have emerged which involve gauge theories of brane excitations on one side and various closed string backgrounds on the other. In this…
In this dissertation, we study the generalized symmetries in supergravities and superconformal field theories from the string theory perspective. Part one is devoted to the study of string universality in high spacetime dimensions.…
Threshold corrections to the running of gauge couplings are calculated for superstring models with free complex world sheet fermions. For two N=1 $SU(2)\times U(1)^5$ models, the threshold corrections lead to a small increase in the…
The study of string models including both unoriented closed strings and open strings presents a number of new features when compared to the standard case of models of oriented closed strings only. We review some basic features of the…
GUT scale threshold corrections in minimal SU(5) supergravity grand unification are discussed. It is shown that predictions may be made despite uncertainties associated with the high energy scale. A bound relating the strong coupling…
Recent work has established a method of constructing non-supersymmetric string models that are stable, with near-vanishing one-loop dilaton tadpoles and cosmological constants. This opens up the tantalizing possibility of realizing stable…
Effective theories with the matter content of the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model below the string scale M_string predict a wrong value for the weak--mixing angle sin^2\theta_W and strong coupling constant \alpha_S at the scale M_Z.…
The apparent unification of gauge couplings around 10^16 GeV is one of the strong arguments in favor of Supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model (SM). In this contribution two new analyses of the gauge coupling running, the latter…
We study gauge threshold corrections for local GUT models in IIB/F-theory. Consistency with holomorphy requirements of supergravity and the Kaplunovsky-Louis formula implies that the unification scale is enhanced by the bulk radius R from…
We point out that type I string theory in the presence of internal magnetic fields provides a concrete realization of split supersymmetry. To lowest order, gauginos are massless while squarks and sleptons are superheavy. We build such…
Grand gauge-Higgs unification of five dimensional SU(6) gauge theory on an orbifold $S^1/Z_2$ with localized gauge kinetic terms is discussed. The Standard model (SM) fermions on the boundaries and some massive bulk fermions coupling to the…
This article is based on a talk given at the ``Strings'97'' conference. It discusses the search for the universality class of confining strings. The key ingredients include the loop equations, the zigzag symmetry, the non-linear…
Unparticle physics from a hidden conformal sector can alter the evolution of the Standard Model (SM) gauge couplings via TeV scale threshold corrections. We discuss how this may lead to gauge coupling unification at M_{GUT}\approx 2 \times…
A class of non-supersymmetric string backgrounds can be constructed using twists that involve space-time fermion parity. We propose a non-perturbative definition of string theory in these backgrounds via gauge theories with supersymmetry…
We discuss the prospect of studying physics at short distances, such as Planck length or GUT scale, using supersymmetry as a probe. Supersymmetry breaking parameters contain information on all physics below the scale where they are induced.…
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 investigate the prospects to achieve unification of the gauge couplings in models without supersymmetry. We restrict our discussion to $SU(5), SO(10)$ and $E_6$ models that mimic the structure of the Standard Model as much as possible…