Related papers: Weak Scale Superstrings
T-duality of string theory suggests nonlocality manifested as the shortest possible distance. As an alternative, we suggest a nonlocal formulation of string theory that breaks T-duality at the fundamental level and does not require the…
A long-standing puzzle about the heterotic string has been what happens when an instanton shrinks to zero size. It is argued here that the answer at the quantum level is that an extra $SU(2)$ gauge symmetry appears that is supported in the…
We combine old and new quantum field theoretic arguments to show that any theory of stable or metastable higher spin particles can be coupled to gravity only when the gravity sector has a stringy structure. Metastable higher spin particles,…
For vortex strings in the Abelian Higgs model and D-strings in superstring theory, both of which can be regarded as cosmic strings, we give analytical study of reconnection (recombination, inter-commutation) when they collide, by using…
A new set of boundary conditions for string propagators is proposed in this paper. The boundary conditions are parametrized by a complex number $\lambda$. Under these new boundary conditions, the left-moving and right-moving modes are…
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…
A study is made of the implications of heterotic string $T$-duality and extended gauge symmetry for the conjectured equivalence of heterotic and Type I superstrings. While at first sight heterotic string world-sheet dynamics appears to…
A model for SU(n) string breaking on the lattice is formulated using strong coupling ideas. Although necessarily rather crude, the model gives an explicit picture of string breaking in the presence of dynamical quarks as a mixing phenomenon…
One cannot yet point to any firm string prediction. While many approximate string ground states are known with interesting properties, we do not have any argument that one or another describes what we observe around us, and for reasons…
I describe our understanding of physics near the planck length, in particular the great progress of the last four years in string theory. Superstring theory, and a recent extension called M theory, are leading candidates for a quantum…
We conjecture a general upper bound on the strength of gravity relative to gauge forces in quantum gravity. This implies, in particular, that in a four-dimensional theory with gravity and a U(1) gauge field with gauge coupling g, there is a…
We discuss string scale unification facilitated by exotic matter with masses at intermediate scales, between the observable sector supersymmetry breaking scale and the string scale. We point out a mechanism by which string scale unification…
We study the interaction of several types of static straight cosmic strings, including local strings, global strings, and bosonic superconducting strings with and without magnetic currents. First, we evaluate the interaction energy of two…
Superstring theories are very promising theoretically, but the enormous landscape of string vacua and the (likely) very large underlying string scale imply that they may never be tested directly. Nevertheless, concrete constructions…
In the underlying Planck scale theory we introduce a certain type of discrete symmetry, which potentially brings the stability of the weak-scale hierarchy under control. Under the discrete symmetry the $\mu $-problem and the tadpole problem…
We study soft SUSY breaking terms in heterotic M-theory. We show that both weakly and strongly coupled heterotic string models lead to the same relations of soft SUSY breaking terms, $A=-M$ and $m^2 = M^2/3$, up to $O((\alpha T/S)^2)$.
We consider a conformal system of a string and a particle defined in D=10+2 space-time dimensions. The extra time-like dimension is a gauge artifact and can be eliminated by choosing a gauge in which the SO(10,1) Lorentz symmetry is…
The topic of cosmic strings provides a bridge between the physics of the very small and the very large. They are predicted by some unified theories of particle interactions. If they exist, they may help to explain some of the largest-scale…
Following an old result of Marcus and Schwarz we argue that in the heterotic string theory compactified on a seven dimensional torus, the target space duality group O(7,23;Z) and the strong-weak coupling duality transformations combine into…
We develop methods by which cosmic superstring interactions can be studied in detail. These include the reconnection probability and emission of radiation such as gravitons or small string loops. Loop corrections to these are discussed, as…