Related papers: Small $E_8$ Instantons and Tensionless Non-critica…
The existence of an extra Z' inspired from heterotic-string theory at accessible energy scales attracted considerable interest in the particle physics literature. Surprisingly, however, the construction of heterotic--string derived models…
We study the phase transition between G-instantons and D3-branes. A G-instanton is a classical solution to the self-dual equation of the M/F-theory four-form field strength G in the complex fourfold. This phase transition is dual to that…
Over the past three decades, considerable effort has been devoted to studying the rich and diverse phenomenologies of heterotic strings exhibiting spacetime supersymmetry. Unfortunately, during this same period, there has been relatively…
We review recent progress in string cosmology, where string dualities are applied so as to obtain complete cosmological evolutions, free of any essential singularities. Two classes of models are analyzed. The first class consists of string…
We study the non-commutative instanton solution proposed in hep-th/0009142 and obtain the spectrum of small oscillations. The spectrum thus obtained is in exact agreement with the spectrum of stringy excitations in a configuration of point…
In these lecture notes duality tests and instanton effects in supersymmetric vacua of string theory are discussed. A broad overview of BPS-saturated terms in the effective actions is first given. Their role in testing the consistency of…
We construct the tensionless limit of bosonic string theory in terms of a family of worldsheets with increasing acceleration and show that the null string emerges in the limit of infinite acceleration when the Rindler horizon is hit. We…
String instanton effects in Higgs physics are discussed through a type IIA model based on T^{6}/(Z^{2}\times Z^{'2}) orentifold compactifaction. By inclusion of rigid E2-branes, the model exhibits a MSSM-like spectrum, as well as extra mu…
We consider the phase transition of a string with tension $\eps_1$ to a string with a smaller tension $\eps_2$. The transition proceeds through quantum tunneling, and we calculate in arbitrary number of dimensions the pre-exponential factor…
We will report on recent advances in the understanding of non-perturbative interconnections between different string dualities. Weak-strong coupling duality (S-duality) and T-duality (symmetry under compactification on dual tori) allows one…
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 address non-perturbative effects and duality symmetries in $N=2$ heterotic string theories in four dimensions. Specifically, we consider how each of the four lines of enhanced gauge symmetries in the perturbative moduli space of $N=2$…
We study compactifications of the 6d E-string theory, the theory of a small E_8 instanton, to four dimensions. In particular we identify N=1 field theories in four dimensions corresponding to compactifications on arbitrary Riemann surfaces…
In this paper we show that it is possible to derive non-perturbative superpotential terms from a stringy instanton without introducing orientifold planes. The instanton is realized by a Euclidean D brane wrapping a non-trivial cycle upon…
The bubble of nothing is a solution to Einstein's equations where a circle shrinks and pinches off smoothly. As such, it is one of the simplest examples of a dynamical cobordism to nothing. We take a first step in studying how this solution…
We study the 2d N = 4 gauge theory descriptions of little strings on type II NS5- branes. The IIB strings on N NS5-branes are described by the N = (4,4) gauge theories, whose Higgs branch CFTs on U(N) instanton moduli spaces are relevant.…
We discuss a previous attempt at a microscopic counting of the entropy of asymptotically flat non-extremal black-holes. This method used string dualities to relate 4 and 5 dimensional black holes to the BTZ black hole. We show how the…
A fundamental string with non-zero winding number can unwind in the presence of a Kaluza-Klein monopole. We use this fact to deduce the presence of a zero mode for the Kaluza-Klein monopole corresponding to excitations carrying H electric…
We investigate the global structure of the states becoming light at perturbative limits of 4d $\mathcal{N}=1$ string and M-theory compactifications, identifying the different duality frames that emerge asymptotically and how they fit…
The SO(32) heterotic string can be obtained from the type IIB string by gauging a discrete symmetry that acts as $(-1)^{F_L}$ on the perturbative string states and reverses the parity of the D-string. Consistency requires the presence of 32…