Related papers: Introduction to Superstring Theory
This lecture surveys a few loosely related topics, ranging from the scarcity of quantum field theories -- and the role that this has played, and still plays, in physics -- to paradoxes involving black holes in soluble two dimensional string…
We describe a general method for deducing T-dualities of little string theories, which are dualities between these theories that arise when they are compactified on circle. The method works for both untwisted and twisted circle…
In this lecture we address the following issues in the context of string theories: i) The role played by S and T dualities in obtaining topological inflation in N=1 supergravity models, ii) A mechanism to generate the baryon asymmetry of…
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…
After recalling a few basic concepts from cosmology and string theory, I will discuss the main ideas/assumptions underlying string cosmology and show how these lead to a two-parameter family of ``minimal" models. I will then explain how to…
In supersymmetric theories, topological defects can have nontrivial behaviors determined purely by whether or not supersymmetry is restored in the defect core. A well-known example of this is that some supersymmetric cosmic strings are…
This article surveys some of the highlights in the development of string theory through the first superstring revolution in 1984. The emphasis is on topics in which the author was involved, especially the observation that critical string…
Aspects of superstring cosmology are reviewed with an emphasis on the cosmological implications of duality symmetries in the theory. The string effective actions are summarized and toroidal compactification to four dimensions reviewed.…
This book provides an introduction to string field theory (SFT). String theory is usually formulated in the worldsheet formalism, which describes a single string (first-quantization). While this approach is intuitive and could be pushed far…
The perturbative analysis of models of open and closed superstrings presents a number of surprises. For instance, variable numbers of antisymmetric tensors ensure their consistency via generalized Green-Schwarz cancellations and a novel…
This thesis discusses various aspects of duality in quantum field theory and string theory. In the first part we consider duality in topological quantum field theories, concentrating on the Donaldson and Seiberg-Witten theories as (dual)…
These lectures give an introduction to duality in Quantum Field Theory. We discuss the phases of gauge theories and the implications of the electric-magnetic duality transformation to describe the mechanism of confinement. We review the…
We review various aspects of classical solutions in string theories. Emphasis is placed on their supersymmetry properties, their special roles in string dualities and microscopic interpretations. Topics include black hole solutions in…
We suggest supersymmetric extension of conformally invariant string theory which is exclusively based on extrinsic curvature action. At the classical level this is a tension-less string theory. The absence of conformal anomaly in quantum…
Exceptional field theories are the manifestly duality covariant formulations of the target space theories of string/M-theory in the low-energy limit (supergravity) or for certain truncations. These theories feature a rich system of…
We develop classical globally supersymmetric theories. As much as possible, we treat various dimensions and various amounts of supersymmetry in a uniform manner. We discuss theories both in components and in superspace. Throughout we…
These lectures give an introduction to the interrelated topics of Calabi-Yau compactification of the type II string, black hole attractors, the all-orders entropy formula, the dual (0,4) CFT, topological strings and the OSV conjecture.…
These notes are based on lectures given by C. Callan and J. Harvey at the 1991 Trieste Spring School on String Theory and Quantum Gravity. The subject is the construction of supersymmetric soliton solutions to superstring theory. A brief…
In this opening talk I first describe how we are entering a data-rich era, and what clues we might soon have to physics beyond the SM (on a time scale of several years). Then we turn to a number of the basic issues we hope to explain, and…
String theory is the leading candidate for a unified theory of the standard model and gravity. In the last few years theorists have realized that there is a unique structure underlying string theory. In this unification a prominent role is…