arXiv subjects

Sunil Mukhi

Publications and source records attributed to Sunil Mukhi.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2007

Dyon Death Eaters

We study general two-body decays of primitive and non-primitive 1/4-BPS dyons in four-dimensional type IIB string compactifications. We find a ``master equation'' for marginal stability that generalises the curve found by Sen for half-BPS decay, and analyse this equation in a variety of cases including decays to 1/4-BPS products. For half-BPS decays, an interesting and useful relation is exhibited between walls of marginal stability and the mathematics of Farey sequences and Ford circles. We exhibit an example in which two curves of marginal stability intersect in the interior of moduli space.

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arXiv2007

Noncritical-Topological Correspondence: Disc Amplitudes and Noncompact Branes

We examine the duality between type 0 noncritical strings and topological B-model strings, with special emphasis on the flux dependence. The former theory is known to exhibit holomorphic factorisation upto a subtle flux-dependent disc term. We give a precise definition of the B-model dual and propose that it includes both compact and noncompact B-branes. The former give the factorised part of the free energy, while the latter violate holomorphic factorisation and contribute the desired disc term. These observations are generalised to rational radii, for which we derive a nonperturbatively exact result. We also show that our picture extends to a proposed alternative topological-anti-topological picture of the correspondence for type 0 strings.

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arXiv2006

FZZ Algebra

The duality between the Sine-Liouville conformal field theory and the two dimensional black hole is revisited by considering the two possible Sine-Liouville dressings together. We show that this choice is consistent with the structure of correlation functions, and that the OPE of the two dressings yields the black hole deformation operator. As an application of this approach, we investigate the role of higher winding perturbations in the context of c=1 strings, where we argue that they are related to higher-spin discrete states that generalize the 2d black hole operator.

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arXiv2006

Noncritical String Correlators, Finite-N Matrix Models and the Vortex Condensate

We carry out a systematic study of correlation functions of momentum modes in the Euclidean c=1 string, as a function of the radius and to all orders in perturbation theory. We obtain simple explicit expressions for several classes of correlators in terms of special functions. The Normal Matrix Model is found to be a powerful calculational tool that computes c=1 string correlators even at finite N. This enables us to obtain a simple combinatoric formula for the 2n-point function of unit momentum modes, which after T-duality determines the vortex condensate. We comment on possible applications of our results to T-duality at c=1 and to the 2d black hole/vortex condensate problem.

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arXiv2005

c=1 Matrix Models: Equivalences and Open-Closed String Duality

We give an explicit demonstration of the equivalence between the Normal Matrix Model (NMM) of c=1 string theory at selfdual radius and the Kontsevich-Penner (KP) model for the same string theory. We relate macroscopic loop expectation values in the NMM to condensates of the closed string tachyon, and discuss the implications for open-closed duality. As in c<1, the Kontsevich-Miwa transform between the parameters of the two theories appears to encode open-closed string duality, though our results also exhibit some interesting differences with the c<1 case. We also briefly comment on two different ways in which the Kontsevich model originates.

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arXiv2005

Topological Matrix Models, Liouville Matrix Model and c=1 String Theory

This is a review of some beautiful matrix models related to the moduli space of Riemann surfaces as well as to noncritical c=1 string theory at self-dual radius. These include the Penner model and the W-infinity model, which have different origins but are equivalent to each other. In the final section, which is new material, it is shown that these models are also equivalent to a Liouville matrix model. We speculate that this might be interpreted in terms of N D-instantons of the c=1 string.

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arXiv2005

Bubbling Orientifolds

We investigate a class of 1/2-BPS bubbling geometries associated to orientifolds of type IIB string theory and thereby to excited states of the SO(N)/Sp(N) N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. The geometries are in correspondence with free fermions moving in a harmonic oscillator potential on the half-line. Branes wrapped on torsion cycles of these geometries are identified in the fermi fluid description. Besides being of intrinsic interest, these solutions may also occur as local geometries in flux compactifications where orientifold planes are present to ensure global charge cancellation. We comment on the extension of this procedure to M-theory orientifolds.

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arXiv2004

Liouville D-branes in Two-Dimensional Strings and Open String Field Theory

We study open strings in the noncritical $c=1$ bosonic string theory compactified on a circle at self-dual radius. These strings live on D-branes that are extended along the Liouville direction ({\it FZZT} branes). We present explicit expressions for the disc two- and three-point functions of boundary operators in this theory, as well as the bulk-boundary two-point function. The expressions obtained are divergent because of resonant behaviour at self-dual radius. However, these can be regularised and renormalized in a precise way to get finite results. The boundary correlators are found to depend only on the differences of boundary cosmological constants, suggesting a fermionic behaviour. We initiate a study of the open-string field theory localised to the physical states, which leads to an interesting matrix model.

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arXiv2002

Open-String Actions and Noncommutativity Beyond the Large-B Limit

In the limit of large, constant B-field (the ``Seiberg-Witten limit''), the derivative expansion for open-superstring effective actions is naturally expressed in terms of the symmetric products *n. Here, we investigate corrections around the large-B limit, for Chern-Simons couplings on the brane and to quadratic order in gauge fields. We perform a boundary-state computation in the commutative theory, and compare it with the corresponding computation on the noncommutative side. These results are then used to examine the possible role of Wilson lines beyond the Seiberg-Witten limit. To quadratic order in fields, the entire tree-level amplitude is described by a metric-dependent deformation of the *2 product, which can be interpreted in terms of a deformed (non-associative) version of the Moyal * product.

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arXiv2002

Strings from Quivers, Membranes from Moose

We consider N=2 moose/quiver gauge theories corresponding to N_1 D3-branes at a C^2/Z_{N_2} singularity in the ``large moose'' limit where N_1 and N_2 are scaled to infinity together. In the dual holographic description, this scaling gives rise to a maximally supersymmetric pp-wave background with a compact light-cone direction. We identify the gauge theory operators that describe the Discrete Light-Cone Quantization (DLCQ) of the string in this background. For each discrete light-cone momentum and winding sector there is a separate ground state and Fock space. The large moose/quiver diagram provides a useful graphical representation of the string and its excitations. This representation has a natural explanation in a T-dual language. The dual theory is a non-relativistic type IIA string wound around the T-dual direction, and bound by a quadratic Newtonian potential. We end with some comments on D-string/D-particle states, a possible lift to M-theory and the relation to deconstruction.

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arXiv2002

PP Wave Limit and Enhanced Supersymmetry in Gauge Theories

We observe that the pp wave limit of $AdS_5\times M^5$ compactifications of type IIB string theory is universal, and maximally supersymmetric, as long as $M^5$ is smooth and preserves some supersymmetry. We investigate a specific case, $M^5=T^{1,1}$. The dual ${\cal N}=1$ SCFT, describing D3-branes at a conifold singularity, has operators that we identify with the oscillators of the light-cone string in the universal pp-wave background. The correspondence is remarkable in that it relies on the exact spectrum of anomalous dimensions in this CFT, along with the existence of certain exceptional series of operators whose dimensions are protected only in the limit of large `t Hooft coupling. We also briefly examine the singular case $M^5=S^5/Z_2$, for which the pp wave background becomes a $Z_2$ orbifold of the maximally supersymmetric background by reflection of 4 transverse coordinates. We find operators in the corresponding ${\cal N}=2$ SCFT with the right properties to describe both the untwisted and the twisted sectors of the closed string.

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arXiv2001

Ramond-Ramond Couplings of Noncommutative Branes

We obtain the couplings of noncommutative branes of type II string theories to constant Ramond-Ramond backgrounds, for BPS as well as non-BPS branes, in the background-independent description. For the BPS branes, we also generalize these couplings to other descriptions, and thereby argue their equivalence to the known couplings in the commutative description. The first part is a review of earlier work while the second part contains some additional observations.

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arXiv2001

Star Products from Commutative String Theory

A boundary-state computation is performed to obtain derivative corrections to the Chern-Simons coupling between a p-brane and the RR gauge potential C(p-3). We work to quadratic order in the gauge field strength F, but all orders in derivatives. In a certain limit, which requires the presence of a constant B-field background, it is found that these corrections neatly sum up into the *2 product of (commutative) gauge fields. The result is in agreement with a recent prediction using noncommutativity.

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arXiv2001

Derivative Corrections from Noncommutativity

We show that an infinite subset of the higher-derivative alpha' corrections to the DBI and Chern-Simons actions of ordinary commutative open-string theory can be determined using noncommutativity. Our predictions are compared to some lowest order alpha' corrections that have been computed explicitly by Wyllard (hep-th/0008125), and shown to agree.

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arXiv2001

Gauge-Invariant Couplings of Noncommutative Branes to Ramond-Ramond Backgrounds

We derive the couplings of noncommutative D-branes to spatially varying Ramond-Ramond fields, extending our earlier results in hep-th/0009101. These couplings are expressed in terms of *n products of operators involving open Wilson lines. Equivalence of the noncommutative to the commutative couplings implies interesting identities as well as an expression for the Seiberg-Witten map that was previously conjectured. We generalise our couplings to include transverse scalars, thereby obtaining a Seiberg-Witten map relating commutative and noncommutative descriptions of these scalars. RR couplings for unstable non-BPS branes are also proposed.

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arXiv2000

Stable Non-BPS States and Their Holographic Duals

Stable non-BPS states can be constructed and studied in a variety of contexts in string theory. Here we review some interesting constructions that arise from suspended and wrapped branes. We also exhibit some stable non-BPS states that have holographic duals.

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arXiv2000

Chern-Simons Terms on Noncommutative Branes

We write down couplings of the fields on a single BPS Dp-brane with noncommutative world-volume coordinates to the RR-forms in type II theories, in a manifestly background independent way. This generalises the usual Chern-Simons action for a commutative Dp-brane. We show that the noncommutative Chern-Simons terms can be mapped to Myers terms on a collection of infinitely many D-instantons. We also propose Chern-Simons couplings for unstable non-BPS branes, and show that condensation of noncommutative tachyons on these branes leads to the correct Myers terms on the decay products.

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arXiv2000

A Stable Non-BPS Configuration From Intersecting Branes and Antibranes

We describe a tachyon-free stable non-BPS brane configuration in type IIA string theory. The configuration is an elliptic model involving rotated NS5 branes, D4 branes and anti-D4 branes, and is dual to a fractional brane-antibrane pair placed at a conifold singularity. This configuration exhibits an interesting behaviour as we vary the radius of the compact direction. Below a critical radius the D4 and anti-D4 branes are aligned, but as the radius increases above the critical value the potential between them develops a minimum away from zero. This signals a phase transition to a configuration with finitely separated branes.

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