Related papers: Strong/Weak Coupling Duality Relations for Non-Sup…
We study a class of four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ SU($N$) gauge theories with two massless hypermultiplets in the rank-two antisymmetric representation and $0\leq N_f\leq 4$ fundamental flavors. These theories are superconformal for…
Following the analysis of tachyons and orbifold flips described in hep-th/0412337, we study nonsupersymmetric analogs of the supersymmetric conifold singularity and show using their toric geometry description that they are nonsupersymmetric…
We review the duality between heterotic and F--theory string vacua with N=1 space-time supersymmetry in eight, six and four dimensions. In particular, we discuss two chains of four-dimensional F--theory/heterotic dual string pairs, where…
The weakly-coupled heterotic string is known to have problems of dilaton/moduli stabilization, supersymmetry breaking (by hidden-sector gaugino condensation), gauge coupling unification (or the Newton's constant), QCD axion, as well as…
We study exact string backgrounds representing a constant magnetic field background in heterotic string theory. These backgrounds are obtained by Kaluza-Klein reduction of a special class of plane wave solutions. For small values of the…
A free superstring with chiral N=2 supersymmetry in six dimensions is proposed. It couples to a two-form gauge field with a self-dual field strength. Compactification to four dimensions on a two-torus gives a strongly coupled N=4…
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 $N=2$…
This talk begins with some history and basic facts about string theory and its connections with strong interactions. Comparisons of stacks of Dirichlet branes with curved backgrounds produced by them are used to motivate the AdS/CFT…
A ten-dimensional supersymmetric $E_8$ gauge theory is compactified over six-dimensional coset spaces, establishing further our earlier conjecture that the resulting four dimensional theory is a softly broken supersymmetric gauge theory in…
Dualities between quantum field theories have proven to be a powerful tool in various areas of physics. In this paper, we introduce a new perspective for obtaining strong coupling expansions based on a well-known technique -- the…
This Ph.D. thesis investigates effective field and string theories in which supersymmetry is realized and broken in various ways. Chapter 1 addresses effective theories with nonlinearly realized supersymmetry, constructed using the…
We give an interpretation of the non-supersymmetric heterotic theories as the supersymmetric heterotic theories on Melvin background with Wilson lines. The coincidence of the partition functions are shown for most of the non-supersymmetric…
Non-supersymmetric SO(10) grand unified theories provide a framework in which the stability of dark matter is explained while gauge coupling unification is realized. In this work, we systematically study this possibility by classifying…
N=2 heterotic strings may provide a window into the physics of M-theory radically different than that found via the other supersymmetric string theories. In addition to their supersymmetric structure, these strings carry a four-dimensional…
We extend the pp-wave correspondence to a non supersymmetric example. The model is the type 0B string theory on the pp-wave R-R background. We explicitly solve the model and give the spectrum of physical states. The field theory counterpart…
We discuss heterotic string theories in two dimensions with gauge groups Spin(24) and Spin(8) x E_8. After compactification the theories exhibit a rich spectrum of states with both winding and momentum. At special points some of these…
The existence of non-singular string cosmologies is established in a class of two-dimensional supersymmetric Hybrid models at finite temperature. The left-moving sector of the Hybrid models gives rise to 16 real (N_4=4) spacetime…
Nonperturbative terms in the free energy of Chern-Simons gauge theory play a key role in its duality to the closed topological string. We show that these terms are reproduced by performing a double scaling limit near the point where the…
Type I - heterotic duality in D=10 predicts various relations and constraints on higher order F^n couplings at different string loop levels on both sides. We prove the vanishing of two-loop corrections to the heterotic F^4 terms, which is…
Motivated by the study of black attractors in 8D supergravity with 16 supersymmetries, we use the field theory approach and 8D supersymmetry with non trivial central charges to shed light on the exact duality between heterotic string on T^2…