Related papers: Solving the strongly coupled 2D gravity III: Strin…
We exactly solve a special matrix model of dually weighted planar graphs describing pure two-dimensional quantum gravity with an R^2 interaction. It permits us to study the intermediate regimes between the gravitating and flat metric. Flat…
We consider modified theories of gravity with a direct coupling between matter and geometry, denoted by an arbitrary function in terms of the Ricci scalar. Due to such a coupling, the matter stress tensor is no longer conserved and there is…
We study the localization of gravity on string-like defects in codimension two. We point out that the gravity-localizing `local cosmic string' spacetime has an orbifold singularity at the horizon. The supergravity embedding and the AdS/CFT…
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,…
In this paper we show that there exists a new class of topological field theories, whose correlators are intersection numbers of cohomology classes in a constrained moduli space. Our specific example is a formulation of 2D topological…
The dynamics of superstring, supergravity and M theories and their compactifications are probed by studying the various perturbation theories that emerge in the strong and weak coupling limits for various directions in coupling constant…
We show that in 6d models localizing gravity on stringlike defects and satisfying the dominant energy condition, the metric exterior to the string inevitably depends on the string's thickness. As a consequence, in the limit of thin string…
We study large dimensions and low string scale in four-dimensional compactifications of type II theories of closed strings at weak coupling. We find that the fundamental string scale, together with all compact dimensions, can be at the TeV,…
Topologically massive gravity (TMG) in three dimensions provides an interesting toy model for constructing a quantum theory of gravity. Although it can be thought of as standing as a theory in its own right, it is also of interest to see…
Representations of the (Lorentz) conformal group with the soft operators as highest weight vectors have two universal properties, which we clearly state in this paper. Given a soft operator with a certain dimension and spin, the first…
2D $R^2$ quantum gravity in infinitely large invariant volume is considered. In weak coupling limit the dynamics is reduced to quantum mechanics of a single degree of freedom. The correspondent two - point Green function is calculated…
We study 4-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal quiver gauge theories obtained with an orbifold projection from $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM, and compute the 2- and 3-point correlation functions among chiral/anti-chiral single-trace scalar…
Preliminary investigations of the topological phase of string theory along the lines of a (restricted) $\dot{w}_{\infty}$ non-linear sigma model are provided. Gauge fixing the w gravity gauge fields by preserving a geometric identity Lorenz…
We construct new seven-dimensional gravity by adding two topological terms to the Einstein-Hilbert action. For certain choice of the coupling constants, these terms may be related to the R^4 correction to the 3-form field equation of…
In quantum systems with many degrees of freedom the replica method is a useful tool to study the entanglement of arbitrary spatial regions. We apply it in a way which allows them to back-react. As a consequence, they become dynamical…
We sharpen the duality between open and closed topological string partition functions for topological gravity coupled to matter. The closed string partition function is a generalised Kontsevich matrix model in the large dimension limit. We…
Certain scattering amplitudes in the gravitational sector of type II string theory on K3 x T^2 are found to be computed by correlation functions of the N=4 topological string. This analysis extends the already known results for K3 by…
Warped compactifications of massive type IIA supergravity on a 3-sphere with spacetime-filling O6/D6 sources are known to admit a half-maximal gauged supergravity description in 7D. We study the effect of introducing open string degrees of…
String representations of the Wilson loop are constructed in the SU(N)-version of compact QED in three and four dimensions. This is done exactly in the case of the fundamental Wilson loop and in the large-N limit in the case of the adjoint…
In this work, we uncover a collection of non invertible topological operators linked to the 0-, 2-, 4- and 6-form symmetries related to the type IIB superstring effective theory. By pinpointing the $\text{SL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$-covariant…