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Ulf Lindstrom

Publications and source records attributed to Ulf Lindstrom.

52 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2003

Consistent Boundary Conditions for Open Strings

We study boundary conditions for the bosonic, spinning (NSR) and Green-Schwarz open string, as well as for 1+1 dimensional supergravity. We consider boundary conditions that arise from (1) extremizing the action, (2) BRST, rigid or local supersymmetry, or kappa(Siegel)-symmetry of the action, (3) closure of the set of boundary conditions under the symmetry transformations, and (4) the boundary limits of bulk Euler-Lagrange equations that are ``conjugate'' to other boundary conditions. We find corrections to Neumann boundary conditions in the presence of a bulk tachyon field. We discuss a boundary superspace formalism. We also find that path integral quantization of the open string requires an infinite tower of boundary conditions that can be interpreted as a smoothness condition on the doubled interval; we interpret this to mean that for a path-integral formulation of open strings with only Neumann boundary conditions, the description in terms of orientifolds is not just natural, but is actually fundamental.

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arXiv2003

D-branes in N=2 WZW models

We briefly review the construction of N=2 WZW models in terms of Manin triples. We analyse the restrictions which should be imposed on the gluing conditions of the affine currents in order to preserve half of the bulk supersymmetry. In analogy with the Kahler case there are two types of D-branes, A- and B-types which have a nice algebraic interpretation in terms of the Manin triple.

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arXiv2003

N=1 supersymmetric sigma model with boundaries, I

We study an N=1 two-dimensional non-linear sigma model with boundaries representing, e.g., a gauge fixed open string. We describe the full set of boundary conditions compatible with N=1 superconformal symmetry. The problem is analyzed in two different ways: by studying requirements for invariance of the action, and by studying the conserved supercurrent. We present the target space interpretation of these results, and identify the appearance of partially integrable almost product structures.

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arXiv2003

N=2 Boundary conditions for non-linear sigma models and Landau-Ginzburg models

We study N=2 nonlinear two dimensional sigma models with boundaries and their massive generalizations (the Landau-Ginzburg models). These models are defined over either Kahler or bihermitian target space manifolds. We determine the most general local N=2 superconformal boundary conditions (D-branes) for these sigma models. In the Kahler case we reproduce the known results in a systematic fashion including interesting results concerning the coisotropic A-type branes. We further analyse the N=2 superconformal boundary conditions for sigma models defined over a bihermitian manifold with torsion. We interpret the boundary conditions in terms of different types of submanifolds of the target space. We point out how the open sigma models correspond to new types of target space geometry. For the massive Landau-Ginzburg models (both Kahler and bihermitian) we discuss an important class of supersymmetric boundary conditions which admits a nice geometrical interpretation.

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arXiv2002

Higher Order Invariants in Supergravity

On a historical note, we first describe the early superspace construction of counterterms in supergravity and then move on to a brief discussion of selected areas in string theory where higher order supergravity invariants enter the effective theories. Motivated by this description we argue that it is important to understand $p$-brane actions with $\k$-invariant higher order terms, thus re-opening the question of $\k$-invariant ``rigidity'' terms. Finally we describe a recent construction of such an action using the superembedding formalism.

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arXiv2001

Strings at the Tachyonic Vacuum

We study the world-volume effective action of Dp-brane at the tachyonic vacuum which is equivalent to the zero tension limit. Using the Hamiltonian formalism we discuss the algebra of constraints and show that there is a non-trivial ideal of the algebra which corresponds to Virasoro like constraints. The Lagrangian treatment of the model is also considered. For the gauge fixed theory we construct the important subset of classical solutions which is equivalent to the string theory solutions in conformal gauge. We speculate on a possible quantization of the system. At the end a brief discussion of different background fields and fluctuations around the tachyonic vacuum is presented.

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arXiv2001

E8 Quiver Gauge Theory and Mirror Symmetry

We show that the Higgs branch of a four-dimensional Yang-Mills theory, with gauge and matter content summarised by an E_8 quiver diagram, is identical to the generalised Coulomb branch of a four-dimensional superconformal strongly coupled gauge theory with E_8 global symmetry. This is the final step in showing that there is a Higgs-Coulomb identity of this kind for each of the cases {0}, A_1, A_2, D_4, E_6, E_7 and E_8. This series of equivalences suggests the existence of a mirror symmetry between the quiver theories and the strongly coupled theories. We also discuss how to interpret the parameters of the quiver gauge theory in terms of the Hanany-Witten picture.

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arXiv2000

Non-commutative Soliton Scattering

We study solitons in three dimensional non-commutative scalar field theory at infinite non-commutativity parameter. We find the metric on the relative moduli space of all solitons of the form |n><n| and show that it is Kahler. We then find the geodesics of this metric and study the scattering of these solitons. In particular we find that the scattering is generally right angle for small values of the impact parameter. We can understand this behaviour in terms of a conical singularity at the origin of moduli space.

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arXiv2000

A pedestrian approach to the high energy limits of branes and other gravitational systems

In this article we study limits of models that contain a dimensionful parameter such as the mass of the relativistic point-particle. The limits are analogous to the massless limit of the particle and may be thought of as high energy limits. We present the ideas and work through several examples in a (hopefully) pedagogical manner. Along the way we derive several new results.

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arXiv2000

Boundary Conditions, Supersymmetry and A-field Coupling for an Open String in a B-field Background

We discuss the non-linear sigma model representing a NSR open string in a curved background with non-zero $B_{μν}$-field. With this coupling the theory is not automatically supersymmetric, due to boundary contributions. When B=0 supersymmetry is ensured by the conditions that follow as the boundary contribution to the field equations. We show that inclusion of a particular boundary term restores this state of affairs also in the presence of a $B$-field. The boundary conditions derived from the field equations in this case agree with those that have been proposed for constant $B$-field. A coupling to a boundary $A_μ$-field will modify both the boundary conditions and affect the supersymmetry. It is shown that there is an $A$-coupling with non-standard fermionic part that respects both the supersymmetry and the shift symmetry (in the $B$ and $A$ fields), modulo the (modified) boundary conditions.

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arXiv1999

Limits of the D-brane action

For background geometries whose metric contain a scale $γ$ we reformulate the Born-Infeld D-brane action in terms of $ε\equiv γ/(2πα')$. This may be taken as a starting point for various perturbative treatments of the theory. We study two limits that arise at zeroth order of such perturbations. In the first limit, that corresponds to the $g_s\to\infty$ with $ε$ fix, we find a "string parton" picture, also in the presense of some background RR-fields. In the second limit, $ε\to 0$, we find a topological model.

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arXiv1999

Hyperkahler quotients and algebraic curves

We develop a graphical representation of polynomial invariants of unitary gauge groups, and use it to find the algebraic curve corresponding to a hyperkahler quotient of a linear space. We apply this method to four dimensional ALE spaces, and for the A_k, D_k, and E_6 cases, derive the explicit relation between the deformations of the curves away from the orbifold limit and the Fayet-Iliopoulos parameters in the corresponding quotient construction. We work out the orbifold limit of E_7, E_8, and some higher dimensional examples.

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arXiv1997

The topology of multi-coupling deformations of CFT

We discuss the topological properties of the manifold of coupling constants for multi-coupling deformations of conformal field theories. We calculate the Euler and Betti numbers and briefly discuss physical applications of these results.

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arXiv1996

C-theorem for two dimensional chiral theories

We discuss an extension of the $C$-theorem to chiral theories. We show that two monotonically decreasing $C$-functions can be introduced. However, their difference is a constant of the renormalization group flow. This constant reproduces the 't Hooft anomaly matching conditions.

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arXiv1993

Induced Chiral Supergravities in 2D

We analyze actions for 2D supergravities induced by chiral conformal supermatter. The latter may be thought as described at the classical level by superspace actions invariant under super-reparametrization, super-Weyl and super-Lorentz transformations. Upon quantization various anomalies appear which characterize the non-trivial induced actions for the supergravitational sector. We derive these induced actions using a chiral boson to represent the chiral inducing matter. We show that they can be defined in a super-reparametrization invariant way, but with super-Weyl and super-Lorentz anomalies. We consider the case of $(1,0)$ and $(1,1)$ supergravities by working in their respective superspace formulations and investigate their quantization in the conformal gauge. The actions we consider arise naturally in off-critical heterotic and spinning strings. In the conformal gauge, they correspond to chiral extensions of the super-Liouville theory.

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