arXiv subjects

Ralph Blumenhagen

Publications and source records attributed to Ralph Blumenhagen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Open-Closed Correspondence of K-theory and Cobordism

Non-trivial K-theory groups and non-trivial cobordism groups can lead to global symmetries which are conjectured to be absent in quantum gravity. Inspired by open-closed string duality, we propose a correspondence between the two groups, which can be considered as the physical manifestation of a generalisation of the classic Conner--Floyd isomorphism. The picture is exemplified by the relations between KO-groups and Spin-cobordisms and between K-groups and Spin$^c$-cobordisms. Global symmetries related by such isomorphism are eventually gauged. By combining K-theory and cobordism, we recover then tadpole cancellation conditions in type I string theory and F-theory from a bottom-up perspective.

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arXiv2022

Swampland Conjectures for an Almost Topological Gravity Theory

We analyze AdS and dS swampland conjectures in a three-dimensional higher spin theory with self-interacting matter, which contains conformal gravity and is almost topological. A theory of a similar type was proposed as the effective theory in the high energy phase of non-critical M-theory in 3D. With some details differing from the usual string theory story, it is found that the resulting effective theory, namely topologically massive gravity, fits well into the web of the proposed swampland conjectures. Supporting a recent proposal, in particular we find that this 3D theory gives rise to a quantum break time that scales like $t_Q\sim H^{-1}$.

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arXiv2021

De Sitter Quantum Breaking, Swampland Conjectures and Thermal Strings

We argue that under certain assumptions the quantum break time approach and the trans-Planckian censorship conjecture both lead to de Sitter swampland constraints of the same functional form. It is a well known fact that the quantum energy-momentum tensor in the Bunch-Davies vacuum computed in the static patch of dS breaks some of the isometries. Proposing that this is a manifestation of quantum breaking of dS, we analyze some of its consequences. In particular, this leads to a thermal matter component that can be generalized to string theory in an obvious way. Imposing a censorship of quantum breaking, we recover the no eternal inflation bound in the low temperature regime, while the stronger bound from the dS swampland conjecture follows under a few reasonable assumptions about the still mysterious, presumably topological, high-temperature regime of string theory.

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arXiv2020

Small Flux Superpotentials for Type IIB Flux Vacua Close to a Conifold

We generalize the recently proposed mechanism by Demirtas, Kim, McAllister and Moritz arXiv:1912.10047 for the explicit construction of type IIB flux vacua with $|W_0|\ll 1$ to the region close to the conifold locus in the complex structure moduli space. For that purpose tools are developed to determine the periods and the resulting prepotential close to such a codimension one locus with all the remaining moduli still in the large complex structure regime. As a proof of principle we present a working example for the Calabi-Yau manifold $\mathbb{P}_{1,1,2,8,12}[24]$.

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arXiv2020

KKLT and the Swampland Conjectures

Recently, various swampland conjectures have been proposed that every UV complete effective field theory should satisfy. In particular, these deal with the properties of AdS and dS solutions arising in theories of quantum gravity. Mainly summarizing the results of our two previous articles arXiv:1902.07724 and arXiv:1910.10185, we confront the string theory based KKLT scenario with these conjectures and argue that if quantum vacua as in the KKLT construction indeed exist, some of the conjectures receive some log-corrections. Furthermore we point out some new aspects not contained in the aforementioned two papers.

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arXiv2020

dS Spaces and Brane Worlds in Exotic String Theories

We investigate string-phenomenological questions of Hull's exotic superstring theories with Euclidean strings/branes and multiple times. These are known to be plagued by pathologies like the occurrence of ghosts. On the other hand, these theories exhibit de Sitter solutions. Our special focus lies on the question of the coexistence of such de Sitter solutions and ghost-free brane worlds. To this end, the world-sheet CFT description of Euclidean fundamental strings is generalized to include also the open string/D-brane sector. Demanding that in the "observable" gauge theory sector the gauge fields themselves are non-ghosts, a generalization of the dS swampland conjecture is found.

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arXiv2020

Quantum Log-Corrections to Swampland Conjectures

Taking the anti-de Sitter minimum of KKLT and the large volume scenario at face value, we argue for the existence of logarithmic quantum corrections to AdS swampland conjectures. If these conjectures receive such corrections, it is natural to suspect that they also arise for other swampland conjectures, in particular the dS swampland conjecture. We point out that the proposed $\log$-corrections are in accord with the implications of the recently proposed trans-Planckian censorship conjecture. We also comment on the emergence proposal in the context of both perturbative flux models and the KKLT construction.

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arXiv2019

A Note on the dS Swampland Conjecture, Non-BPS branes and K-theory

We point out that the de Sitter swampland conjecture would be falsified if classical fluxed Type IIA orientifold vacua with a single non-BPS D7-brane were indeed part of the string theory landscape. In other words, the dS swampland conjecture implies the cancellation of K-theory charges on a compact space.

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arXiv2019

Swampland Variations on a Theme by KKLT

The KKLT scenario in a warped throat, if consistent, provides a concrete counterexample to both the AdS scale separation and the dS swampland conjectures. First, we define and analyze the relevant effective field theory for the conifold modulus and the overall Kaehler modulus that both have exponentially small masses. The scalar potential still admits KKLT-like AdS and dS minima. Second, we critically analyze the reliability of the employed Wilsonian effective action by evaluating the masses of light modes localized in the warped throat. The resulting mass spectrum is discussed with respect to the swampland distance conjecture. We find the recently observed emergent nature of the latter not only at large distance points but also at the conifold point motivating a general extension of it. In this respect, KKLT and trans-Planckian field distance are on equal footing. It is pointed out that the reliability of the KKLT minimum will depend on how this emergent behavior is interpreted.

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arXiv2019

On the Existence of an L$_\infty$ structure for the Super-Virasoro Algebra

The appearance of L$_\infty$ structures for supersymmetric symmetry algebras in two-dimensional conformal field theories is investigated. Looking at the simplest concrete example of the ${\cal N}=1$ super-Virasoro algebra in detail, we investigate whether an extension to a super-L$_\infty$ algebra is sufficient to capture all appearing signs.

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arXiv2018

On the Uniqueness of L$_\infty$ bootstrap: Quasi-isomorphisms are Seiberg-Witten Maps

In the context of the recently proposed L$_\infty$ bootstrap approach, the question arises whether the so constructed gauge theories are unique solutions of the L$_\infty$ relations. Physically it is expected that two gauge theories should be considered equivalent if they are related by a field redefinition described by a Seiberg-Witten map. To clarify the consequences in the L$_\infty$ framework, it is proven that Seiberg-Witten maps between physically equivalent gauge theories correspond to quasi-isomorphisms of the underlying L$_\infty$ algebras. The proof suggests an extension of the definition of a Seiberg-Witten map to the closure conditions of two gauge transformations and the dynamical equations of motion.

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arXiv2018

Large Field Inflation/Quintessence and the Refined Swampland Distance Conjecture

Attempts to construct string derived effective field theory models realizing large field inflation are plagued by control issues. Targeted at a broader audience, in this article we review recent progress in isolating the underlying conceptual reasons for this failure. Special emphasis is given to models of axion monodromy inflation and their relation to the Swampland Distance Conjecture. This discriminates effective actions that admit a UV completion, the landscape, from those that do not, the swampland. Since they are conceptually very similar, we also comment on implied challenges for axionic quintessence models.

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arXiv2018

The Refined Swampland Distance Conjecture in Calabi-Yau Moduli Spaces

The Swampland Distance Conjecture claims that effective theories derived from a consistent theory of quantum gravity only have a finite range of validity. This will imply drastic consequences for string theory model building. The refined version of this conjecture says that this range is of the order of the naturally built in scale, namely the Planck scale. It is investigated whether the Refined Swampland Distance Conjecture is consistent with proper field distances arising in the well understood moduli spaces of Calabi-Yau compactification. Investigating in particular the non-geometric phases of Kahler moduli spaces of dimension $h^{11}\in\{1,2,101\}$, we always found proper field distances that are smaller than the Planck-length.

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arXiv2018

Bootstrapping Non-commutative Gauge Theories from L$_\infty$ algebras

Non-commutative gauge theories with a non-constant NC-parameter are investigated. As a novel approach, we propose that such theories should admit an underlying L$_\infty$ algebra, that governs not only the action of the symmetries but also the dynamics of the theory. Our approach is well motivated from string theory. We recall that such field theories arise in the context of branes in WZW models and briefly comment on its appearance for integrable deformations of AdS$_5$ sigma models. For the SU(2) WZW model, we show that the earlier proposed matrix valued gauge theory on the fuzzy 2-sphere can be bootstrapped via an L$_\infty$ algebra. We then apply this approach to the construction of non-commutative Chern-Simons and Yang-Mills theories on flat and curved backgrounds with non-constant NC-structure. More concretely, up to the second order, we demonstrate how derivative and curvature corrections to the equations of motion can be bootstrapped in an algebraic way from the L$_\infty$ algebra. The appearance of a non-trivial A$_\infty$ algebra is discussed, as well.

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arXiv2017

On the Structure of Quantum L$_\infty$ algebras

It is believed that any classical gauge symmetry gives rise to an L$_\infty$ algebra. Based on the recently realized relation between classical ${\cal W}$ algebras and L$_\infty$ algebras, we analyze how this generalizes to the quantum case. Guided by the existence of quantum ${\cal W}$ algebras, we provide a physically well motivated definition of quantum L$_\infty$ algebras describing the consistency of global symmetries in quantum field theories. In this case we are restricted to only two non-trivial graded vector spaces $X_0$ and $X_{-1}$ containing the symmetry variations and the symmetry generators. This quantum L$_\infty$ algebra structure is explicitly exemplified for the quantum ${\cal W}_3$ algebra. The natural quantum product between fields is the normal ordered one so that, due to contractions between quantum fields, the higher L$_\infty$ relations receive off-diagonal quantum corrections. Curiously, these are not present in the loop L$_\infty$ algebra of closed string field theory.

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arXiv2017

${\cal W}$ algebras are L$_\infty$ algebras

It is shown that the closure of the infinitesimal symmetry transformations underlying classical ${\cal W}$ algebras give rise to L$_\infty$ algebras with in general field dependent gauge parameters. Therefore, the class of well understood ${\cal W}$ algebras provides highly non-trivial examples of such strong homotopy Lie-algebras. We develop the general formalism for this correspondence and apply it explicitly to the classical ${\cal W}_3$ algebra.

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arXiv2017

Double Field Theory on Group Manifolds in a Nutshell

We give a brief overview of the current status of Double Field Theory on Group Manifolds (DFTWZW). Therefore, we start by reviewing some basic notions known from Double Field Theory (DFT) and show how they extend/generalize into the framework of Double Field Theory on Group Manifolds. In this context, we discuss the relationship between both theories and the transition from DFTWZW to DFT. Furthermore, we address some open questions and present an outlook into our current research.

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arXiv2017

Challenges for Moduli Stabilization and String Cosmology near the Conifold

This brief article reviews a recently proposed scenario of moduli stabilization constructed in the vicinity of a conifold locus in the complex structure moduli space. We discuss typical features of moduli stabilization due to the logarithmic structure of the periods over the Calabi-Yau threefold. Integrating out heavy moduli implies exponential terms in the superpotential very reminiscent of non-perturbative contributions. Ultimately, these terms can lead to an alignment of axions potentially realizing large-field inflation. Our goal is to investigate common issues appearing for moduli stabilization near the conifold and subsequent applications to string cosmology. Even though this setup needs to be understood as a toy model, a closer look at the validity of the effective theories reveals characteristic obstacles, which are likely to occur in more serious scenarios as well.

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