Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'String and superstring theories'

A simple two scale compactification scheme for the E(8) x E(8) heterotic string is studied. The internal space used is a direct product of two compact spaces, each with its own length scale. Compactification on the smaller 4-dimensional (4d) manifold is carried out to obtain 6d theories with simple supersymmetry (SUSY). Assuming the background torsion vanishes, we show that this manifold must be K3. Compactification on K3 is studied in detail. Also analyzed are the two possible torsion-free compactifications on the orbifold K3$ sp prime$ (the limit of the manifold K3). The compactification from 6d to 4d on the larger scale 2d manifold results in Grand Unified Theories (GUT's) with broken SUSY. We show that it is not possible to generate a realistic theory using our scheme. Strings exclude what is conceivable from the perspective of point field theories: getting a realistic GUT from a 6d theory with simple SUSY.

Scherk-Schwarz reductions are a generalization of Kaluza-Klein reductions in which the higher dimensional fields are allowed to have a dependence on the compactiifed coordinates. This is possible only if the higher dimensional theory has a global symmetry and the dependence is dictated by this symmetry. In this thesis we consider generalised Scherk Schwarz reductions of supergravity and superstring theories with twists by electromagnetic dualities that are symmetries of the equations of motion but not of the action, such as the S-duality of $D=4, N=4$ super-Yang-Mills coupled to supergravity. The reduction cannot be done on the action itself, but must be done either on the field equations or on a duality invariant form of the action, such as one in the doubled formalism in which potentials are introduced for both electric and magnetic fields. The resulting theory in odd dimensions has massive form fields satisfying a self-duality condition $dA sim m*A$. We apply these methods to theories in $D=4,6,8$, and obtain new gauged supergravity theories with massive form fields, with Chern-Simons like couplings and with a scalar potential in $D=3,5,7$.

Um das mikroskopische Verhalten der Gravitation zu beschreiben, ist es nötig, Quantenfeldtheorie und allgemeine Relativitätstheorie in einer vereinheitlichten Sprache zu formulieren. Eine Möglichkeit dieses Problem anzugehen ist es, die Punktteilchen der Quantenfeldtheorie durch fadenförmige Strings zu ersetzen. Allerdings erfordert die mathematische Konsistenz, dass sich die String in höherdimensionalen Raum-Zeiten bewegen; dies macht es jedoch sehr schwer, physikalische Konsequenzen zu extrahieren. Eine mögliche Lösung dieses Problems ist die Verwendung von String-Dualitäten, welche die Stringtheorie mittels holographischer Beschreibungen mit Eichtheorien auf dem Rand der Raum-Zeit verbinden. Die Dualitäten sind begründete Vermutungen, die die String- und Eichtheorie bei unterschiedlichen Werten der Kopplung gleichsetzen. Nicht zuletzt deshalb ist eine direkte Überprüfung der Dualitäten schwierig durchführbar. Hier hilft jedoch die sehr bemerkenswerte Tatsache, dass eine verborgene Eigenschaft der Vermutungen Integrabilität zu sein scheint, welche eine Extrapolation zwischen starker und schwacher Kopplung ermöglicht. Desweiteren kann das gesamte Spektrum, in gewissen vereinfachenden Grenzfällen, durch einen kompakten Satz von Bethe-Gleichungen ausgedrückt werden. Die Bethe-Gleichungen, welche aus Eichtheorierechnungen hergeleitet und geraten werden, bieten ein exzellentes Hilfsmittel, die vermuteten Dualitäten zu prüfen. Durch das Vergleichen der Vorhersagen der Gleichungen und expliziten Berechnungen in der Stringtheorie erhält man starke Argumente für die Gültigkeit der Vermutung und der angenommenen Integrabilität.
In this thesis we study superstring theory on AdS$_5\, \times\,$S$^5$, AdS$_3\,\times\,$S$^3$ and $\adsfour$. A shared feature of each theory is that their corresponding symmetry algebras allows for a decomposition under a $\mathbb{Z}_4$ grading. The grading can be realized through an automorphism which allows for a convenient construction of the string Lagrangians directly in terms of graded components. We adopt a uniform light-cone gauge and expand in a near plane wave limit, or equivalently, an expansion in transverse string coordinates. With a main focus on the two critical string theories, we perform a perturbative quantization up to quartic order in the number of fields. Each string theory is, through holographic descriptions, conjectured to be dual to lower dimensional gauge theories. The conjectures imply that the conformal dimensions of single trace operators in gauge theory should be equal to the energy of string states. What is more, through the use of integrable methods, one can write down a set of Bethe equations whose solutions encode the full spectral problem. One main theme of this thesis is to match the predictions of these equations, written in a language suitable for the light-cone gauge we employ, against explicit string theory calculations. We do this for a large class of string states and the perfect agreement we find lends strong support for the validity of the conjectures.

The discovery of integrability in planar N=4 super Yang-Mills and ABJM has enabled a precise study of AdS/CFT. In the past decade integrability has been successfully applied to the spectrum of anomalous dimensions, which can now be obtained at any value of the coupling. However, in order to solve conformal field theories one also needs to understand their structure constants. Recently, there has been great progress in this direction with the all-loop proposal of Basso, Komatsu and Vieira. But there is still much to understand, as it is not yet possible to use that formalism to find structure constants of short operators at strong coupling. It is important to study wrapping corrections and resum them as the TBA did for the spectrum. It is also crucial to obtain perturbative data that can be used to check if the all-loop proposal is correct or if there are new structures that need to be unveiled. In this thesis we compute several structure constants of short operators at strong coupling, including the structure constant of Konishi with half-BPS operators. Still at strong coupling, we find a relation between the building blocks of superstring amplitudes and the tensor structures allowed by conformal symmetry. We also consider the case of extremal correlation functions and the relation of their poles to mixing with double-trace operators. We also study three-point functions at weak coupling. We take the OPE limit in a four-point function of half-BPS operators in order to shed some light on the structure of five-loop wrapping corrections of the Hexagon form factors. Finally, we take the first steps in the generalization of the Hexagon programme to other theories. We find the non-extremal setup in ABJM and the residual symmetry that it preserves, which we use to fix the two-particle form factor and constrain the four-particle hexagon. Finally, we find that the Watson equations hint at a dressing phase that needs to be further investigated.

We use toric symmetry and blowups to study relationships in the Gromov-Witten theories of $\mathbb{P}^3$ and $\mathbb{P}^1\!\times\!\mathbb{P}^1\!\times\!\mathbb{P}^1$. These two spaces are birationally equivalent via the common blowup space, the permutohedral variety. We prove an equivalence of certain invariants on blowups at only points of $\mathbb{P}^3$ and $\mathbb{P}^1\!\times\!\mathbb{P}^1\!\times\!\mathbb{P}^1$ by showing that these invariants descend from the blowup. Further, the permutohedral variety has nontrivial automorphisms of its cohomology coming from toric symmetry. These symmetries can be forced to descend to the blowups at just points of $\mathbb{P}^3$ and $\mathbb{P}^1\!\times\!\mathbb{P}^1\!\times\!\mathbb{P}^1$. Enumerative consequences are discussed.

In this thesis we study the (2, 4m) series of Type OA minimal superstring theories, which are intimately related to the KdV integrable hierarchy. Chapters 1 to 3 constitute a comprehensive review of the relevant background material, including noncritical string theory, matrix models and integrable systems. In Chapter 4 we generalise the (2， 4m) theories so as to include unoriented worldsheet contributions in the partition sum. This generalisation is tested against a known result in the literature. Chapter 5 explores the D-branes of the theories in more detail and, by studying the Bäcklund transformation of the KdV hierarchy, gives conclusive evidence that the parameter speculated to control the number of zz branes in the theory is indeed quantised. The FZZT brane partition function is studied, and it is shown that the effects of the boundary cosmological constant arise only in certain predictable forms. Chapter 6 examines the string theory interpretation of the negative KdV hierarchy, which naively relates to supercritical string theories living in greater than ten dimensions. The models are seen to have some non-trivial characteristic properties, indicating that they do indeed describe valid string theories, but it is unclear whether said theories are actually supercritical.

Die vorliegende Dissertationarbeit ist dem Problem der analytischen Beschreibung des Confinement-Mechanismus in der QCD und in anderen Eichtheorien gewidment. Als Leitprinzip der Arbeit wurde das sogenannte Wilsonsche-Confinement-Kriterium gewählt, gemäss welchem diese Erscheinung durch eine effektive Stringtheorie beschrieben werden kann. Die entstehenden Strings des Eichfeldes verbinden farbige-Objekte (Quarks, Gluonen) miteinander und hindern ihr Auseinandergehen auf makroskopische Abstände. Es werden verschiedene Verfahren der Ableitung dieser Stringstheorien aus unterschiedlichen Eichtheorien, einschliesslich der QCD, vorgestellt. Kapitel 2 enthält die Untersuchung der nichtlokalen effektiven Stringwirkung, die im Rahmen des sogenannten stochastischen Vakuum-Modells der QCD entsteht, wobei die Wechselwirkung zwischen den Elementen der String-Weltfläche durch den phänomenologischen Background-Gluon-Propagator vermittelt wird. Durch Entwicklung dieser Wirkung nach Ableitungen wurden die ersten Terme niedrigster Ordnung bestimmt. Die ersten beiden Terme dieser Entwicklung sind die Nambu-Goto- und Rigidity-Terme mit Kopplungskonstanten, die sich durch das Gluon-Kondensat und die Korrelationlänge des QCD-Vakuums ausdrücken lassen. Die Vorzeichen dieser Konstanten zeigen, dass die durch dieses Verfahren erhaltenen Strings stabil sind. Danach wurde eine mögliche Lösung des ``Crumpling'' Problems auf der Basis eines zusätzlichen topologischen Stringtermes im Instantongas-Modell des QCD-Vakuums vorgestellt. Mittels Störungstheorie im nicht-störungstheoretischen QCD-Background berechneten wir zusätzliche-Korrekturen zur ursprünglichen nicht-störungstheoretischen Stringwirkung. Diese Korrekturen führen zu neuen Formen der nichtlokalen effektiven Stringwirkung, die den störungstheoretischen Gluon-Propagator im Backgroundfeld zwischen den Elementen der Weltfläche enthalten. Durch Ableitungsentwicklung dieser Wirkung bekommen wir eine Korrektur zur Kopplungskonstante des Rigidity-Terms; die Stringsspannung des Nambu-Goto-Terms jedoch bleibt unverändert. Am Ende dieses Kapitels wurde der Hamilton-Operator des QCD-Strings mit spinlosen Quarks hergeleitet, der der effektiven Stringwirkung mit Rigidity-Term entspricht. Dieser Hamilton-Operator liefert einen Korrekturterm zur Wechselwirkung im relativistischen Quarkmodell-Operator. Im Kapitel 3 untersuchten wir das Problem der Stringdarstellung von Abelsch-projezierten Eichtheorien. Als erstes wurde die Herleitung der Stringdarstellung der erzeugenden Funktion für das einfachste Modell dieser Art, d.h. die Abelsch-projezierte SU(2)-QCD gegeben, die einem dualen Abelschen Higgs-Modell mit äusseren elektrisch geladendenen Teilchen äquivalent ist. Der Vorteil dieses Stringszuganges im Vergleich zum Zugang des stochastischen Vakuum-Modells der QCD besteht in der Berücksichtigung der Integration über String-Weltflächen, die auf Grund der Integration über den Singulärteil der Higgsfeld-Phase entsteht. Zusätzlich zur Stringdarstellung der erzeugenden Funktion wurde im London-Limes die Stringdarstellung für die erzeugenden Funktionale der Feldstärke- und Monopolstromkorrelatoren hergeleitet. Dies gab uns die Möglichkeit, die entsprechenden bilokalen Kumulanten zu finden und zu zeigen, dass die bilokalen Kumulanten der Feldstärke für grosse Abstände das gleiche Verhalten wie die entsprechenden eichinvarianten Kumulanten der QCD zeigen. Das Letztere wurde durch das stochastische Vakuum-Modell vorhergesagt und durch Gitterexperimente berechnet. Dieses Ergebnis unterstützt einerseits die Methode der Abelschen Projektion und gibt anderseits dem stochastischen Vakuum-Modell der QCD einen neuen feldtheoretischen Status. Danach erweiterten wir unsere Analyse über den Rahmen des London-Limes hinaus untersuchten den Zusammenhang von quartischen Kumulanten und bilokalen Kumulanten. Anschliessend wurde die Stringdarstellung der SU(3)-Gluodynamik hergeleitet. Dabei wurde die Stringdarstellung für ein entsprechendes duales Modell formuliert, das drei Arten des magnetischen Higgs-Feldes enthält. Infolgedessen liefert das Modell drei Strings, von denen nur zwei wirklich unabhängig sind. Alle diese Strings wechselwirken untereinander durch Austausch zweier massiver dualer Eichbosonen. Ausserdem erhielten wir die bilokalen Kumulanten des effektiven dualen Modells der SU(3)-Gluodynamik. Die entsprechenden bilokalen Kumulanten zeigen für grosse Abstände ein Verhalten wie es durch das stochastische Vakuum-Modell vorhergesagt wurde. Zum Schluss dieses Kapitels geben wir eine nützliche Darstellung für erzeugende Funktionen von Abelsch-projezierten Theorien in Form von Integralen über Monopolströme an. Im Kapitel 4 wurde ein weiteres Modell untersucht, das eine analytische Beschreibung des Confinement-Mechanismus zulässt, nämlich die 3D kompakte QED. Für den Wilson-Loop der entsprechenden Theorie mit Monopoldichten wurde die Äquivalenz zur sogenannten Confining-Stringtheorie demonstriert. Ausserdem wurde das Verhalten der bilokalen Kumulante der Feldstärke im Limes schwacher Felder untersucht. Dieses Verhalten befindet sich ebenfalls in Übereinstimmung mit den Voraussagen des stochastischen Vakuum-Modells. Erwartungsgemäss sind die Stringdarstellungen der erzeugenden Funktionen der 3D kompakten QED im Limes schwacher Felder und der dualen Abelschen Higgs-Modelle sehr ähnlich. Wir zeigten ausserdem, dass diese Entsprechung nicht zufällig ist. Die 3D kompakte QED ergibt sich nämlich im Limes verschwindender Eichbosonmasse aus dem 3D Abelschen Higgs-Modell mit äusseren Monopolen. Zum Schluss wurde ein allgemeines Verfahren der Beschreibung der Anregungen der Stringweltfläche in Abelsch-projezierten Theorien (kompakte QED und QCD) ausgearbeitet. Es ist auf der Methode der nicht-linearen Sigma-Modelle gegründet und gibt eine Möglichkeit, die in diesen Fluktuationen quadratische Effektive Wirkung zu erhalten. In der Dissertation wurden analytische nicht-störungstheoretische Verfahren ausgearbeitet, die neue Informationen über den Confinement-Mechanismus in der QCD und anderen Eichtheorien liefern und zum besseren Verständnis der Vakuumstruktur dieser Theorien beitragen können. Sie sind insbesondere relevant für die Herleitung effektiver Stringtheorien aus Eichtheorien.
The main problem addressed in the present Dissertation was an attempt of an analytical description of confinement in QCD and other gauge theories. As a guiding principle for our investigations served the so-called Wilson's picture of confinement, according to which this phenomenon can be described in terms of some effective theory of strings, joining coloured objects to each other and preventing them from moving apart to macroscopic distances. In this Dissertation, we have proceeded with a derivation of such string theories corresponding to various gauge ones, including QCD, i.e. with the solution of the problem of string representation of gauge theories. We have started our analysis with the nonlocal string effective action, arising within the so-called Stochastic Vacuum Model of QCD, where the interaction between the string world-sheet elements is mediated by the phenomenological background gluon propagator. By performing the derivative expansion of this action, we have derived the first few terms of a string Lagrangian. The first two nontrivial of them turned out to be the Nambu-Goto and rigidity terms with the coupling constants expressed completely via the gluonic condensate and correlation length of the QCD vacuum. The signs of these constants ensure the stability of strings in the so-obtained effective string theory. After that, we have investigated the problem of crumpling for the string world-sheets by derivation of the topological string term in the instanton gas model of the gluodynamics vacuum. Next, by making use of perturbation theory in the nonperturbative QCD vacuum, we have calculated perturbative corrections to the obtained string effective action. Those lead to a new form of the nonlocal string effective action with the propagator between the elements of the world-sheet being the one of a perturbative gluon in the confining background. By the derivative expansion of this action, we got a correction to the rigidity term coupling constant, whereas the string tension of the Nambu-Goto term occurs to get no corrections due to perturbative gluonic exchanges. Finally, we have derived the Hamiltonian of QCD string with spinless quarks at the ends, associated with the obtained string effective action including the rigidity term. In the particular case of vanishing orbital momentum of the system, this Hamiltonian reduces to that of the so-called relativistic quark model, albeit with some modifications due to the rigidity term, which might have some influence on the dynamics of the QCD string with quarks. All these topics have been elaborated on in Section 2, and form the essence of the string representation of QCD within the Stochastic Vacuum Model. In Section 3, we have addressed the problem of string representation of Abelian-projected theories. In this way, we have started with the string representation for the partition function of the simplest model of this kind, namely the Abelian-projected SU(2)-QCD, which is argued to be the dual Abelian Higgs Model with external electrically charged particles. The advantage of this approach to the string representation of QCD w.r.t. the one based on the Stochastic Vacuum Model is a possibility to get an integration over the string world-sheets, resulting from the integration over the singular part of the phase of the Higgs field. After the string representation of the partition function in the London limit, we have proceeded with the string representation for the generating functionals of the field strength and monopole current correlators. Those enabled us to find the corresponding bilocal cumulants and demonstrate that the large-distance asymptotic behaviour of the bilocal field strength cumulant matches the one of the corresponding gauge-invariant cumulant in QCD, predicted by the Stochastic Vacuum Model and measured in the lattice experiments. This result supports the method of Abelian projection on the one hand and gives a new field-theoretical status to the Stochastic Vacuum Model on the other hand. After that, we have extended our analysis beyond the London limit, and studied the relation of the quartic cumulant, which appears there, with the bilocal one in the London limit. Next, by making use of the Abelian projection method, we have addressed the problem of string representation of the SU(3)-gluodynamics. Namely, we have casted the related dual model, containing three types of magnetic Higgs fields, into the string form. Consequently, the latter one turned out to contain three types of strings, among which only two ones were actually independent. As a result, we have found, that both the ensemble of strings as a whole and individual strings display confining properties in a sense that all types of strings (self)interact via the exchanges of the massive dual gauge bosons. We have also derived bilocal cumulants in the effective dual model of confinement, corresponding to the SU(3)-gluodynamics, and they turned out to be also in line with the ones predicted by the Stochastic Vacuum Model. In conclusion of this topic, we have obtained another useful representation for the partition functions of the Abelian-projected theories in the form of an integral over the monopole currents. In Section 4, we have studied another model, allowing for an analytical description of confinement, which is 3D compact QED. In this way, by virtue of the integral over the monopole densities, we have derived string representation for the Wilson loop in this theory and demonstrated the correspondence of this representation to another recently found one, the so-called confining string theory. After that, we have calculated the bilocal cumulant of the field strength tensors in the weak-field limit of the model under study. It also turned out to be in line with the general concepts of the Stochastic Vacuum Model and therefore matches the corresponding results known from the lattice measurements in QCD and found analytically for the effective Abelian-projected theories in the previous Section. Besides that, string representations of the partition functions of the weak-field limit of 3D compact QED and of the dual Abelian Higgs Model turned out to be also quite similar. We have illustrated later on that this correspondence is not accidental. Namely, we have shown that 3D compact QED is nothing else, but the limiting case of 3D Abelian Higgs Model with external monopoles, corresponding to the vanishing gauge boson mass. Finally, we have elaborated on a unified method of description of the string world-sheet excitations in the Abelian-projected theories, compact QED, and QCD, based on the techniques of nonlinear sigma-models, and obtained the effective action, quadratic in the world-sheet fluctuations. In conclusion, the proposed nonperturbative techniques provide us with some new information on the mechanisms of confinement in QCD and other gauge theories and shed some light on the vacuum structure of these theories. They also show the relevance of string theory to the description of this phenomenon and yield several prescriptions for the construction of the adequate string theories from the corresponding gauge ones.

Neste trabalho são apresentados alguns conceitos básicos da Teoria de Liouville e N=1 Super Liouville, enfatizando o cálculo das funções de três pontos dessas teorias.Uma introdução a Teoria de Campos Conformes (CFT) e a Supersimetria também sao incluídas, as quais constituem ferramentas básicas da presente pesquisa.
In this dissertation we present some basic features about Liouville and N=1 Super Liouville Theory, and focus in the computation of their three point functions. Additionally, we include an introduction to Conformal Field Theories (CFT) and Supersymmetry, which are the basic tools of the present research.

Explored in this report is the essential interconnectedness of Grand Unified and String Theoretic Phenomenology. In order to extract a modeled connection to low-energy physics from the context of superstring theory, it is presently necessary to input some preferred region of parameter space in which to search. This need may be well filled by a parallel study of Grand Unification, which is by contrast in immediate proximity to a wealth of experimental data. The favored GUT so isolated may then reasonably transfer this phenomenological correlation to a string embedding, receiving back by way of trade a greater sense of primary motivation, and potentially enhanced predictability for parameters taken as input in a particle physics context. The Flipped SU(5) GUT will be our preferred framework in which to operate and first receives an extended study in a non-string derived setting. Of particularly timely interest are predictions for super-particle mass ranges and the interrelated question of proton decay lifetime. Corrections to such a picture under the lift to a string embedding are also considered. Two principal approaches to string model building are next treated in turn: the Heterotic Free Fermionic construction and Intersecting D-branes in Orientifold compactifications. In both contexts, a summary of existing constructions, extensions to known procedures, and original phenomenological contributions are described.

Cette thèse traite de plusieurs façons de construire une théorie quantiques des champs en quatre dimensions à partir de la théorie des cordes.

Dans une première partie nous étudions la construction d'une théorie Yang-Mills supersymétrique, couplée à un superchamp chiral dans la représentation adjointe, à partir de la théorie des cordes de type IIB sur une variété Calabi-Yau non compacte, avec des D-branes qui enroulent certaines sousvariétés. Les propriétés de
la théorie de jauge sont alors reflétées dans la structure
géométrique de la variété Calabi-Yau. En particulier, on peut calculer en principe le superpotentiel effectif de basse énergie qui décrit la structure des vides de la théorie de jauge en utilisant la théorie des cordes (topologiques). Malheureusement, en pratique, ceci n'est pas faisable. Il est remarquable qu'on puisse cependant montrer que la dynamique de basse énergie de la
théorie de jauge est codée par la géométrie d'une autre variété Calabi-Yau non compacte, reliée à la première par une transition géométrique. La théorie des cordes de type IIB sur cette deuxième variété, dans laquelle sont allumés des flux de fond appropriés, génère une théorie de jauge en quatre dimensions, qui n'est d'autre que la théorie effective de basse énergie de la théorie de
jauge originale. Ainsi, pour obtenir le superpotentiel effectif de basse énergie il suffit simplement de calculer certaines intégrales dans la deuxième géométrie Calabi-Yau, ce qui est faisable, au moins perturbativement. On trouve alors que le problème extrêmement difficile d'étudier la dynamique de basse
énergie d'une théorie de jauge non Abelienne a été réduit à celui de calculer certaines intégrales dans une géométrie connue. On peut démontrer que ces intégrales sont intimement reliées à certaines quantités dans un modèle de matrices holomorphes, et on peut alors calculer le superpotentiel effectif comme fonction de
certaines expressions du model de matrices. Il est remarquable que la série perturbative du modèle de matrices calcule alors le superpotentiel effectif non-perturbatif.

Ces relations étonnantes ont été découvertes et élaborée par plusieurs auteurs au cours des dernières années. Les résultats originaux de cette thèse comprennent la forme précise des relations de la ``géométrie spéciale" sur une variété Calabi-Yau
non compacte. Nous étudions en détail comment ces intégrales géométriques dépendent du cut-off, et leur relation à l'énergie libre du modèle de matrices. En particulier, sur une variété Calabi-Yau non compacte nous proposons une forme bilineaire sur le
produit direct de l'espace des formes avec l'espace des cycles, qui élimine toutes les divergences, sauf la divergence logarithmique. Notre analyse détaillée du modèle de matrices holomorphes clarifie aussi plusieurs aspects reliés à la méthode du col de ce modèle de matrices. Nous montrons en particulier qu'exiger une densité spectrale réelle restreint la forme de la
courbe Riemannienne qui apparaît dans la limite planaire du modèle de matrices. Çela nous donne des contraintes sur la forme du contour sur lequel les valeurs propres sont intégrées. Tous ces
résultats sont utilisés pour calculer explicitement l'énergie libre planaire d'un modèle de matrices avec un potentiel cubique.

La deuxième partie de cette thèse concerne la génération de théories de jauge supersymétriques en quatre dimensions comportant des aspects caractéristiques du modèle standard à partir de
compactifications de la supergravité en onze dimensions sur une variété G_2. Si cette variété contient une singularité conique, des fermions chiraux apparaissent dans la théorie de jauge en quatre dimensions ce qui conduit potentiellement à des anomalies. Nous montrons que, localement à chaque singularité, les anomalies
correspondantes sont annulées par une non-invariance de l'action classique au singularités (``anomaly inflow"). Malheureusement, aucune métrique d'une variété G_2 compacte n'est connue explicitement. Nous construisons ici des familles de métriques sur des variétés compactes faiblement G_2, qui contiennent deux singularités coniques. Les variétés faiblement G_2 ont des propriétés semblables aux propriétés des variétés G_2, et alors ces exemples explicites pourraient être utiles pour mieux comprendre la situation générique. Finalement, nous regardons la
relation entre la supergravité en onze dimensions et la théorie des cordes hétérotiques E_8\times E_8. Nous étudions en détail les anomalies qui apparaissent si la supergravité est formulée sur le produit d'un espace de dix dimensions et un intervalle. Encore une fois nous trouvons que les anomalies s'annulent localement sur
chaque bord de l'intervalle si on modifie l'action classique d'une façon appropriée.

In dieser Dissertation werden Aspekte von superkonformen Quantenfeldtheorien untersucht, die für die sogenannte AdS/CFT Korrespondenz relevant sind. Die AdS/CFT Korrespondenz beschreibt eine Dualität zwischen Stringtheorien im Anti-de Sitter Raum und superkonformen Quantenfeldtheorien im Minkowskiraum. In diesem Kontext wurde die sog. Wilsonschleifen / Amplituden Dualität entdeckt, die die Übereinstimmung von n-Gluon MHV Amplituden und n-seitigen polygonalen Wilsonschleifen in der N=4 supersymmetrischen Yang-Mills (SYM) Theorie beschreibt. Im ersten Teil dieser Dissertation wird die Wilsonschleifenseite einer solchen möglichen Dualität in der N=6 superkonformen Chern-Simons (ABJM) Theorie untersucht. Das Hauptergebnis dieser Untersuchungen ist, dass der Erwartungswert der n-seitigen polygonalen Wilsonschleifen auf Einschleifenebene verschwindet, während er auf Zweischleifenebene in seiner funktionalen Form identisch zu der analogen Wilsonschleife in N=4 SYM auf Einschleifenniveau ist. Außerdem wird eine anomale konforme Wardidentität für Wilsonschleifen in Chern-Simons Theorie berechnet. Zudem werden die damit im Zusammenhang stehenden Entwicklungen für Amplituden und Korrelatoren in der ABJM Theorie diskutiert. Im zweiten Teil dieser Dissertation werden Dreipunktfunktionen von zwei geschützten Operatoren und einem Twist-Zwei Operator mit beleibigem Spin j in der N=4 SYM Theorie berechnet. Dafür werden die Indizes des Spin j Operators auf den Lichtkegel projiziert und der Korrelator wird in einem Grenzfall untersucht in dem der Impuls der bei dem Spin j Operator einfließt verschwindet. Dieser Grenzfall vereinfacht die perturbative Berechnung erheblich, da alle Dreipunktdiagramme effektiv auf Zweipunktdiagramme reduziert werden und die Abhängigkeit der Mischungsmatrix auf Einschleifenebene herausfällt. Das Ergebnis stimmt mit der Analyse der Operatorproduktentwicklung von Vierpunktfunktionen geschützter Operatoren von Dolan und Osborn aus dem Jahre 2004 überein.
In this thesis aspects of superconformal field theories that are of interest in the so-called AdS/CFT correspondence are investivated. The AdS/CFT correspondence states a duality between string theories living on Anti-de Sitter space and superconformal quantum field theories in Minkowski space. In the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence the so-called Wilson loop / amplitude duality was discovered, stating the equality of the finite parts of n-gluon MHV amplitudes and n-sided lightlike polygonal Wilson loops in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills (SYM) theory. It is the subject of the first part of this thesis to investigate the Wilson loop side of a possible similar duality in N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons matter (ABJM) theory. The main result is, that the expectation value of n-sided lightlike polygonal Wilson loops vanishes at one-loop order and at two-loop order is identical in its functional form to the Wilson loop in N=4 SYM theory at one-loop order. Furthermore, an anomalous conformal Ward identity for Wilson loops in Chern-Simons theory is derived. Related developments and symmetries of amplitudes and correlators in ABJM theory are discussed as well. In the second part of this thesis we calculate three-point functions of two protected operators and one twist-two operator with arbitrary even spin j in N =4 SYM theory. In order to carry out the calculations, the indices of the spin j operator are projected to the light-cone and the correlator is evaluated in a soft-limit where the momentum coming in at the spin j operator becomes zero. This limit largely simplifies the perturbative calculation, since all three-point diagrams effectively reduce to two-point diagrams and the dependence on the one-loop mixing matrix drops out completely. The result is in agreement with the analysis of the operator product expansion of four-point functions of half-BPS operators by Dolan and Osborn in 2004.

The construction of four-dimensional string models via nonabelian twist is discussed in an operator formalism. Features of Hilbert space related to nonabelian twists are studied from the group theoretical point of view. This enables global anomalies to be removed if one insists the vacuum states to be a representation of the nonabelian group. We present a systematic procedure for the identification of the final gauge group, whose rank is generically reduced in a nonabelian twist. This general method of model-building is applied to obtain all minimal-rank strings resulting from twists by finite nonabelian subgroups of SU(2). Their partition functions, vacuum representations, gauge groups, and the elimination of global anomalies are considered individually for each case.

Kyoto University (京都大学)
0048
新制・課程博士
博士(理学)
甲第12096号
理博第2990号
新制||理||1446(附属図書館)
23932
UT51-2006-J91
京都大学大学院理学研究科物理学・宇宙物理学専攻
(主査)教授 畑 浩之, 教授 川合 光, 教授 二宮 正夫
学位規則第4条第1項該当

Much of the low energy phenomenology which can be extracted from the field theory limit of the intrinsically ten dimensional E 8 ® E 8 heterotic superstring depends upon the topological and geometrical properties of the six dimensional compactified component of spacetime. After briefly reviewing the topological constraints on the latter manifold which ensure the survival of N=l four dimensional supersymmetry, we present and apply the mathematics necessary for the rigorous construction of vacuum solutions and the determination of the four dimensional massless field content. Two phenomenologically attractive classes of solutions, with unbroken E₈ ⨂ SU(5) and E₈ ⨂ SO(10) gauge groups, arise if the vacuum configuration contains a Ricci flat Kahler manifold with SU(3) holonomy (Calabi-Yau manifold), which admits certain SU(5) or SU(4) vector bundles. Further reduction of the gauge group and emergence of naturally light weak Higgs doublets may also occur by flux breaking if the Calabi Yau manifold is multiply connected. We analyse the feasibility of such scenarios for Calabi Yau manifolds with any possible fundamental group. Phenomenological considerations place severe constraints on the dimensions and transformation properties of certain cohomology groups and thereby lead to a highly restricted class of acceptable models. We then present the mathematical analysis of a three generation heterotic superstring inspired model, with E₈ ⨂ E₆ gauge symmetry. A detailed description of the manifold of compactification is given, along with a determination of its Hodge numbers and of the associated light supermultiplet structure. For a particular choice of vacuum moduli we derive this manifold's symmetry group, and determine its action on the massless fields in the theory. Preliminary investigation indicates that these transformation properties give rise to a remarkably realistic model. In the second volume we derive cosmological constraints on a supersymmetric extension of the standard model in which weak gauge symmery breaking is triggered at the tree level by a Higgs singlet superfield. The fermionic component of this gauge singlet (the "nino") is shown to be the lightest supersymmetric particle with a relic abundance near the critical closure density for a surprisingly wide range of the unconstrained parameters. The previously favoured photino dark matter scenario has been eliminated by the non observation of high energy solar neutrinos. After briefly reviewing this argument, we extend the analysis to eliminate Higgsino dark matter scenarios with and#60H₁°and#62 ≠ and#60H₂°and#62. We show that the nino produces an acceptably low level of solar neutrinos and that it may also account for the anomalously high level of cosmic ray antiproton flux.

Les effets non-perturbatifs jouent un rôle extrêmement important dans la physique théorique contemporaine. Par exemple, ils sont connus d’être responsables de divers phénomènes physiques tels que le confinement des quarks et les dualités. Une arène particulièrement riche pour ces effets est fournie par des théories de jauge et des cordes. En particulier, pour les théories avec la supersymétrie N=2 à 4 dimensions, les années récentes ont marqué un progrès remarquable en compréhension leur dynamique non-perturbative. Peut-être un des résultats les plus intrigants est l'apparition de l’intégrabilité dans plusieurs problèmes de cette sorte. Ces résultats fournissent des relations non-triviales entre différents systèmes physiques et constructions mathématiques et donnent l’espoir que beaucoup de problèmes de longue date peuvent être en fait exactement solubles. La thèse est supposée d’explorer ces relations entre les effets non-perturbatifs et l’intégrabilité. Plus précisément, il est suggéré d'étudier le problème des compactifications des théories des cordes qui préservent la supersymétrie N=2. Leur action effective à basses énergies est complètement déterminée par une métrique sur un certain espace de modules qui est connu à recevoir des corrections instantoniques. Bien que beaucoup d'entre elles aient été déjà trouvées, la description non-perturbative complète est encore absente. D'autre part, sa importance va beaucoup au delà de l'action effective mentionnée ci-dessus puisqu'elle devrait contenir des informations sur la S-dualité, symétrie miroir non-perturbative, croisement de murs, trous noirs supersymétriques. Ainsi, le travail dans cette direction permettra non seulement obtenir des résultats intéressants, mais étudier également beaucoup de proches sujets dans la théorie des cordes, mathématiques et d'autres domaines de recherche
Non-perturbative effects play an extremely important role in the moderntheoretical physics. For example, they are known to be responsible forvarious physical phenomena such as confinement and dualities.An especially rich arena for these effects is provided by gauge andstring theories. In particular, for theories with N=2 supersymmetry in4 dimensions, recent years marked a remarkable progress in understandingtheir non-perturbative dynamics. May be one of the most intriguing findingsis the appearance of integrability in several, sometimes differentlylooking problems. These results provide non-trivial relations betweendifferent physical systems and mathematical constructions and givea hope that many longstanding problems can be in fact exactly solvable.The thesis is supposed to explore these relations between non-perturbativeeffects and integrability. More precisely, it is suggested to study the problemof compactifications of string theories which preserve N=2 supersymmetry.Their low-energy effective action is completely determined by a metricon a certain moduli space which is known to receive instanton corrections.Although many of them have been already found, the complete non-perturbativedescription is still out of reach. On the other hand, its relevance goes muchbeyond the effective action mentioned above since it should encode informationabout S-duality, non-perturbative mirror symmetry, wall-crossing, supersymmetricblack holes. Thus, working in this direction would allow not only to obtaininteresting results, but also to study many related subjects in string theory,mathematics and other research areas

There has been great progress in recent years in the understanding of the mathematical structure of scattering amplitudes in Quantum Field Theory as well as the development of powerful methods for their calculation, particularly in the arena of N = 4 Super Yang-Mills where hidden and manifest symmetries lead to striking simplifications. In this thesis, we will discuss the extensions of such methods away from the case of on-shell amplitudes in conformal N = 4. After introducing the necessary mathematical background and physical setting, we consider in Chapter Three the form factors of BPS operators in N = 4 Super Yang- Mills. These objects have several physical applications, and share many properties with scattering amplitudes. However, they are off-shell, which makes them a natural starting point to set out in the direction of correlation functions. After demonstrating the computation of form factors by BCFW recursion and unitarity based methods, we go on to show how the scalar form factor can be supersymmetrised to encompass the full stress-tensor multiplet. In Chapter Four, we discuss the Sudakov form factor in ABJM Theory. This object, which first appears at two loops and controls the IR divergences of the theory, is computed by generalised unitarity. In particular, we note that the maximal transcendentality of three dimensional integrals is related to particular triple cuts. Finally, in Chapter Five we consider massive amplitudes on the Coulomb Branch of N = 4 at one loop. Here we find that vertex cut conditions inherited from the embedding of the theory in String Theory lead to a restricted class of massive integrals.

Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, 2016.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 185-194).
In this thesis, we use string theory constructions and dualities to explore various features of interacting quantum field theories. We begin with an overview in Chapter 1, of past and recent developments in quantum field theories, explaining the advantages of string theoretic techniques over traditional approaches in answering a range of questions about interacting dynamics. In Chapter 2 we study the holographic duality between the 6d (1, 1) Ak-1 little string theory (LST) and type II string theory in the double scaled limit. By identifying the low energy states, which are Cartan gluons in the 6d maximal super-Yang-Mills (SYM) that describes the massless sector of the LST, we compute the four-point amplitudes from both sides of the duality and demonstrate matching results. Since the two computations concern different regimes in the parameter space, their amazing agreement implies the presence of certain nonrenormalization theorems in the 6d SYM. In Chapter 3, motivated by the AdS/CFT duality, we develop a systematic procedure to derive an off-shell action for hydrodynamics from classical Einstein gravity. We first identity the boundary fluid degrees of freedom in the hydrodynamic regime, in terms of gapless modes of the metric in the bulk gravity. This allows us to derive an off-shell action, for relativistic fluids that have gravity duals, at leading order in derivative expansion, by explicitly integrating out gapped degrees of freedom in the bulk. We also explain the strategy to incorporate dissipation and higher order effects. In Chapter 4, we discuss 4d N = 2 superconformal field theories (SCFT) of the Argyres-Douglas (AD) type, which can be constructed in string/M theory by either wrapping M5 branes on punctured Riemann surface or probing 3-fold singularity by IIB string. We classify the punctures (irregular defects in Hitchin system) on the Riemann surface in the former construction, that will give rise to N = 2 SCFTs and demonstrate how to extract exact information about the Coulomb branch spectrum and central charges. We further identify these AD theories constructed from M5 branes with a special class of theories from IIB probing compound Du Val (cDV) singularities, thereby establishing a mathematical connection between singular Hitchin systems and cDV singularities through N = 2 SCFTs. We end with a short summary and outlook for future directions in Chapter 5.
by Yifan Wang.
Ph. D.

The central theme in this thesis is compactifications: reductions of higher dimensional theories to lower dimensions and how the geometry of the compactification manifold determines features of the low energy physics. This is studied in the context of non-perturbative string theory in the framework of M-theory and F-theory. Supersymmetry requires the compactification manifold in F-theory to be an elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau, where the complex structure of the elliptic fibration is identified with the complexified coupling constant in type IIB string theory. The non-perturbative nature of the theory originates from the strong-weak duality of type IIB, which manifests itself as the SL(2;Z) modular transformation of the complex structure. Non-abelian gauge symmetries arise naturally in this framework and engineering Grand Uni ed Theories within F-theory has been an active area of research. Compactifications on Calabi-Yau four-folds give rise to gauge theories with N = 1 supersymmetry in four dimensions coupled to gravity. In the first part of this thesis we focus on abelian gauge symmetries in F-theory, which are essential in SU(5) GUTs for forbidding couplings which result in fast proton decay. These arise from rational sections in the elliptic fibration and from the geometric constraints on these sections one can determine the set of possible U(1) charges of GUT matter representations. Armed with this constrained set of charges we then proceed to study the phenomenology of these abelian gauge symmetries in the context of SU(5) GUT models. We analyse their e ectiveness at suppressing proton decay operators and explore the types of realistic flavour textures that can be generated using the Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism. In the latter part of this thesis the focal point changes to M5-branes, one of the two fundamental objects of M-theory. The theory of multiple M5-branes is known to be a 6d N = (2; 0) superconformal eld theory, of which only the space-time symmetries and abelian equations of motion have been determined. In spite of this, fascinating correspondences have been shown to arise from the reduction of the M5-brane theory to lower dimensions. In particular, supersymmetric observables in the reduced theories capture non-trivial aspects of the geometry of the compactification manifold. The final chapter of this thesis studies the compactification of the 6d N = (2; 0) theory on the two-sphere as a step towards deriving a correspondence related to four-manifolds.

La théorie des cordes est un de nos meilleurs candidats pour une théorie quantique de la gravité. A ce jour elle n'a pas encore été conclusive à propose de ce sujet. Malgré cela, on a réalisé qu'on peut en tirer des informations sur tout une variété de sujets, dont notamment les théories de jauges supersymétriques, en étudiant la limite de basse énergie dans le volume d'univers des branes. Cette immersion des théories de jauges en théorie des cordes nous fournit un autre point de vue. Ce dernier nous permet souvent de prendre une approche plus géométrique pour obtenir de nouveaux résultats sinon inaccessible par des méthodes plus conventionnelles. Même en absence de vérification expérimentale de la supersymétrie, sa présence dans cette classe de théories de jauge nous fournit un terrain de jeux propice pour tester de nouvelles méthodes d'une manière efficace. En effet, la présence de la supersymétrie donne une structure additionnelle qui rend la théorie plus rigide. Cela simplifie les calculs et rend des résultats plus accessibles. On peut oser de dire que si on n'arrive pas à calculer un certain résultat en présence de supersymétrie, il y a très peu de chance d'y arriver sans. L'approche par la théorie des cordes le rend possible de découvrir des symétries cachées ou de comprendre des symétries connues d'une autre manière.Une classe de théories quantique intéressantes qui sont présentes en théories des cordes, c'est les théories de petites cordes. Ces dernières ont été découverte il y a deux décennies. Ces théories en six dimensions ont été construite une première fois comme théories dans le volume d'universe de branes NS5 dans le cadre de la théorie des cordes IIB en prenant la limite du couplage de la corde qui tend vers zéro. Dans cette limite, la théorie résultant reste non-trivial mais les interactions en dehors de la brane sont supprimées, notamment la gravité. Comme le nom le suggère, ces théories contiennent des cordes qu'on appelle petites cordes. La tension des petites cordes est proportionnelle à l'échelle naturelle de la corde. En plus, ces théories profitent de la T-dualité comme les théories de cordes critiques. Elle sont donc des théories quantiques non-locales. Leur complexité se situe entre celle des théories quantiques locales et celle de la théorie des cordes complète. Elles sont donc des candidates intéressantes pour étudier la dynamique dans le volume d'univers de la brane NS5. Pour des énergies inférieures à l'échelle de la corde, elles ont une description en termes de théories de jauges symétriques de type quiver. On peut donc également obtenir des informations sur ces dernières. Cette description locale n'est plus valable une fois l'échelle de la corde atteinte.Le but principal de cette thèse est d'étudier des dualités entre le théories de petites cordes en utilisant différentes constructions disponible en théorie des cordes. Cela nous permet d'attaquer le problème d'angles différents et de faire un lien avec des structures géométriques. En conséquence on peut analyser différentes relation parmi les théories de petites cordes. On confirme ensuite la validité des dualités qu'on obtient en utilisant la fonction de partition instantonique. Cet object est complètement non-perturbative et établit ces dualités comme résultat exact. Cette structure de dualités s'étend naturellement aux descriptions de basse énergie en terme de théories de jauges supersymétriques. De plus, on étudie les conséquences directes du réseaux de dualités qu'on a découvert
String theory remains one of our best candidates for a theory of quantum gravity. Until now it has not lived up to this goal. However, along the way it was realized that string theory can give us valu-able insights into a variety of subjects among which supersymmetric gauge theories by studying the low-energy worldvolume dynamics of branes. This embedding of gauge theories into string theory provides us with a different viewpoint that often allows us to use powerful geometric considerati-ons in order to obtain new results that are inaccessible from conventional methods. Even in the ab-sence of experimental confirmation of supersymmetry, its presence in this class of gauge theories provides us with a playground where different methods can be tested in an efficient way. Indeed, supersymmetry provides additional structure, rendering the underlying theory more rigid and thus simplifying computations and making results more accessible. One could dare to say that when a certain result can not be calculated in the presence of supersymmetry, there is probably not much hope of achieving it without supersymmetry. This stringy approach to gauge theories makes it pos-sible to unravel hidden dualities or to understand already known ones from a different perspective. An interesting class of quantum theories that are embedded into string theory are the so called little string theories. They have been discovered two decades ago. These six-dimensional theories were first obtained as the worldvolume theory of a stack of NS5 branes in the context of Type II string theory trough a particular decoupling limit that sends the string coupling constant to zero while kee-ping at the same time the string scale finite. In this limit, the resulting theory remains interacting but the bulk dynamics is decoupled, in particular gravity. As their name suggests, they contain strings. The tension of the little strings is proportional to the string scale, which is the only intrinsic scale in the theory. Furthermore, the little string theories enjoy T-duality similar to the critical string theory. They are thus non-local quantum theories. So the complexity of little string theory lies between that of local quantum field theories and full fledged critical string theory. This makes them interesting candidates for studying stringy phenomena in an easier setup where gravity is absent and to learn more about the worldvolume dynamics of the NS5 brane. At energies far below the string scale, they have a low-energy description in terms of quiver gauge theories, so their study can also give us insights into these kinds of theories. This local description breaks down as we reach the string scale and we must rely on the full little string theories. The main goal of this thesis is to study dualities between little string theories by using different dual constructions available in string theory. These allow us to attack the problem from different angles and they establish also a connection to geometric structures. This makes it possible to systematically analyse relations among different little string theories. We then confirm the validity of the newly found duality relations by using the so called instanton partition function. The latter is a completely non-perturbative object allowing us to establish the dualities as an exact result. This duality structure naturally extends to the low-energy description in terms of supersymmetric quiver gauge theories. Furthermore, we study the direct consequences of this duality web. We find interesting cases where the dimensional reduction from six to five dimensions simultaneously reduces the rank of the group and changes the matter content. Another result that we find is the presence of a hidden dihedral symmetry which acts in a highly non-trivial fashion on the spectrum of the underlying gauge theories

For more than two decades, remarkable progress has been made in the construction of supersymmetric Standard Model-like theories from the heterotic string theory. In particular, considerable effort has been invested in studying the abundant phenomenological features of heterotic strings exhibiting N = 1 spacetime supersymmetry. At the same time, their non-supersymmetric counterparts have received little attention on the grounds that strings which do not exhibit spacetime supersymmetry admit large one-loop dilaton tadpoles, and are therefore unstable. Nonetheless, in this epoch of data acquisition from high-luminosity experiments, the observational absence of supersymmetry is striking. Consequently, non-supersymmetric theories receive a profound interest in the particle physics community. In this thesis, a class of non-supersymmetric, tachyon-free, four-dimensional string models is constructed via a string generalisation of Scherk-Schwarz compactification. Such models demonstrate greatly enhanced finiteness and stability properties, and exhibit some general features on their mass spectra, the behaviour of the one-loop cosmological constant and their interpolation properties. Special attention is paid to how from an exponentially suppressed one-loop cosmological constant, and therefore from an almost vanishing dilaton tadpole, finiteness and stability ensue. The existence of such models is characterised by prominent phenomenological features which involve their natural energy scales, particle-charge assignments, and the magnitudes of the associated Yukawa couplings and scalar masses. A radical result is the existence of Standard Model-like theories emerging as the low energy limit of non-supersymmetric strings; there are no light superpartners and supersymmetry is absent at all energy scales.

Orientador: Nathan Jacob Berkovits
Banca: Fernando Pablo Devecchi
Banca: José Abdalla Helayel Neto
Banca: José Francisco Gomes
Banca: Rogério Rosenfeld
Resumo: Nesta tese, são derivadas as equações de movimento efetivas da supercorda tipo II, assim como os vínculos da supergravidade tipo II. Os resultados são obtidos acoplando a supercorda tipo II, descrita no formalismo híbrido desenvolvido por Berkovits, ao super-espaço curvo N = 2 e exigindo invariância superconforme N = (2, 2) perturbativamente na folha de mundo. Todos os cálculos são realizados diretamente no super-espaço N = 2, como consequência imediata do formalismo utilizado. A análise no nível de árvore mostra que os vínculos derivados quebram a invariância conforme e SU(2). O dilaton, que não acopla classicamente, será o campo compensador e as simetrias da folha de mundo exigem que este seja representado por multipleto vetorial e um multipleto hypertensorial. Em particular, mostramos que a supercorda seleciona um gauge particular, onde a matéria é fixa e não o compensador. As equações de movimento para o compensador são derivadas no nível de árvore e confirmadas extendendo a análise em 1 loop
Abstract: In this thesis, the effective equations of motion of type II superstring has been derived, as well as the type II supergravity constraints. The results are obtained by coupling type II superstring (described in Berkovits' formalism) to N = 2 curved superspace and imposing perturbatively N = (2,2) superconformal invariance on the worldsheet. The computations are carried out in N = 2 superspace, as an immediate consequence of the utilized formalism. The analysis at tree level shows that the derived constraints break conformal invariance and SU(2). The dilaton, that doesn't couple classically, will be the compensator field, and the worldsheet symmetries require that it is represented by a vector and a hypertensorial multiplet. In particular, we show that superstring selects a particular gauge where the matter is fixed, not the compensator. The compensator's equations of motion are derived at tree level and confirmed extending the analysis to one loop
Doutor

Orientador: Nathan Jacob Berkovits
Banca: Vladimir Demyanovich Pershin
Banca: Victor de Oliveira Rivelles
Resumo: Neste trabalho nós revisamos o formalismo de Green-Schwarz (GS) da supercorda e discutimos os seus problemas e vantagens com relação ao formalismo de Ramond-Neveu-Schwarz (RNS). Nós demonstramos, entre outras coisas, que o formalismo de Green-Schwarz possui supersimetria manifesta no espaço-tempo, mas que não pode ser quantizado covariantemente, exatamente o oposto do que ocorre em RNS. Então nós finalmente estudamos o formalismo recém criado de espinores puros, que incorpora as boas propriedades dos formalismos anteriores sem incluir seus defeitos
Abstract: n this work we review the Green-Schwarz (GS) formalism of the superstring and discuss its problems and advantages with respect to the Ramond-Neveu-Schwarz (RNS) formalism. We show, among other things, that the GS formalism has manifest spacetime supersymmetry, but at the same time it cannot be covariantly quantized, exactly the opposite of what happens in the RNS formalism. Then we finally study the recently developed pure spinor formalism, which has the good properties of the previous two without having their problems
Mestre

In dieser Arbeit untersuchen wir Quanten-Aspekte des Green-Schwarz Superstrings in verschiedenen AdS-Hintergründen, die für die AdS/CFT Korrespondenz von Bedeutung sind, und geben einige Beispiele für perturbative Rechnungen in den entsprechenden integrablen Sigma-Modellen. Wir beginnen mit einer detaillierten Darstellung der Konstruktion der Wirkung des Typ-IIB-Superstrings auf dem AdS5 x S5-Hintergrund, die durch eine Supercoset-Sigma-Modell definiert wird, und zeigen die Grenzen dieser Herangehensweise für Hintergründe auf, die in niedrig-dimensionalen Beispielen der Eich/Gravitations-Dualität von Interesse sind. Daraufhin betrachten wir die Entwicklung um das BMN-Vakuum und die S-Matrix für die Streuung von Weltflächen-Anregungen. Um ihre Elemente effizient auszuwerten, entwickeln wir eine auf Unitarität basierende Methode für allgemeine massive, zweidimensionale Feldtheorien. Weiterhin betrachten wir den AdS-Lichtkegel eichfixierten String in AdS4 x CP3 in einer Entwicklung um das "null-cusp"-Vakuum. Die freie Energie dieses Modells hängt zusammen mit der anomalen Cusp-Dimension der Eichtheorie. Wir berechnen Korrekturen zur Zustandssumme des Superstring-Modells und leiten somit die anomale Cusp-Dimension der ABJM-Theorie bei starker Kopplung bis zur Zweischleifen-Ordnung her. Schlie\sslich berechnen wir auf Einschleifen-Ebene die Dispersionsrelation von Anregungen um das GKP-Vakuum. Unsere erfolgreiche Anwendung von auf Unitarität basierenden Cut-Techniken auf verschiedene Beispiele stützt die Vermutung, dass die S-Matrizen zweidimensionaler, integrabler Feldtheorien cut-konstruierbar sind. Weiterhin liefern unsere Ergebnisse wertvolle Daten, die die Konsistenz der String-Wirkung auf Quanten-Niveau belegen und stellen nicht-triviale stringente Tests der Quanten-Integrabilität der untersuchten Modelle dar.
In this thesis we investigate quantum aspects of the Green-Schwarz superstring in various AdS backgrounds relevant for the AdS/CFT correspondence, providing several examples of perturbative computations in the corresponding integrable sigma-models. We start by reviewing in details the construction of the type IIB superstring action in AdS5 x S5 background defined as a supercoset sigma model, pointing out the limits of this procedure for backgrounds interesting in lower-dimensional examples of the gauge/gravity duality. We then consider the expansion about the BMN vacuum and the S-matrix for the scattering of worldsheet excitations. To evaluate its elements efficiently we develop a unitarity-based method for general massive two-dimensional field theories. We also analyze the AdS light-cone gauge fixed string in AdS4 x CP3 expanded around a “null cusp” vacuum. The free energy of this model is related to the cusp anomalous dimension of the gauge theory and, indirectly, to a non-trivial effective coupling entering all integrability-based calculations in AdS4/CFT3. We calculate corrections to the superstring partition function of the model, thus deriving the cusp anomalous dimension of ABJM theory at strong coupling up to two-loop order and giving support to a recent conjecture. Finally, we calculate at one-loop the dispersion relation of excitations about the GKP vacuum. Our successful application of unitarity-cut techniques on several examples supports the conjecture that S-matrices of two-dimensional integrable field theories are cut-constructible. Furthermore, our results provide valuable data in support of the quantum consistency of the string actions and furnish non-trivial stringent tests for the quantum integrability of the analyzed models.

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Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
A presente dissertação trata-se de uma revisão sobre amplitudes MHV na teoria de Yang-Mills e em sua extensão maximalmente supersimétrica. A demonstração da fórmula geral para tais amplitudes é dada no terceiro capítulo. Uma vez que o formalismo de twistors se apresenta como um interessante arcabouço teórico para o estudo de tais amplitudes, uma discussão sobre o mesmo e considerada, bem como sua extensão supersimétrica. Ao final, o cálculo de quatro e cinco pontos para amplitudes MHV em teoria de supercordas é apresentado. Para tal, foi utilizada a prescrição fornecida por Berkovits e Maldacena em [11]
In the present work, we have provided a review about MHV amplitudes in Yang- Mills and maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. A proof of MHV formula was given in the third chapter. Since twistor formalism provides an interesting framework to study such amplitudes, a discussion about it is also considered as well as its supersymmetric extension. At the end, we have computed MHV four-point and ve-point gluon tree amplitudes in superstring theory, using a prescription given by Berkovits and Maldacena [11]

This thesis is concerned with so called chiral gauge theories, also known as self dual gauge theories. In particular, the aim of this thesis to investigate the role that chiral gauge theories play in duality symmetries in lower dimensions through dimensional reduction. Chapter one serves as an introduction to the notions of duality in field and string theory. The problems of formulating well defined actions for self-dual gauge theories are introduced as well as a brief presentation of the different approaches used to over come these problems. Chapter two introduces dimensional reduction and demonstrates how duality symmetries arise from the dimensional reduction of self-dual theories in a variety of dimensions and on different compact spaces. Examples are presented where the couplings of the resulting theories are calculated explicitly in terms of the geometrical data of the compact space. The duality generators acting on these couplings are also calculated explicitly and related to the geometry/topology of the compact space. Chapter three deals with the idea of duality manifest actions and their relation to the self-dual theories in higher dimensions. Non-linear Born-Infeld type actions are introduced and again dimensional reduction is shown to play a role in the duality of the Born-Infeld action. This leads to a duality manifest version of the Born-Infeld action. Chapter four describes perhaps the main application of this thesis. The effective action of the M-theory five brane wrapped on a torus is identified with the effective action of the IIB D-3 brane dimensionally reduced on a circle (after some appropriate world volume dualizations). The IIB S-duality then arises as a result of the modular symmetry of the torus. The final chapter contains a brief summary and a hint of further directions for research that were outside the scope of this thesis.

Double field theory and exceptional field theory are formulations of supergravity that make certain dualities manifest symmetries of the action. To achieve this, the geometry is extended by including dual coordinates corresponding to winding modes of the fundamental objects. This geometrically unifies the spacetime metric and the gauge fields (and their local symmetries) in a generalized geometry. Solutions to these extended field theories take the simple form of waves and monopoles in the extended space. From a supergravity point of view they appear as 1/2 BPS objects such as the string, the membrane and the fivebrane in ordinary spacetime. In this thesis double field theory and exceptional field theory are introduced, solutions to their equations of motion are constructed and their properties are analyzed. Further it is established how isometries in the extended space give rise to duality relations between the supergravity solutions. Extensions to these core ideas include studying Goldstone modes, probing singularities at the core of solutions and localizing them in winding space. The relation of exceptional field theory to F-theory is also covered providing an action for the latter and incorporating the duality between M-theory and F-theory.

In this thesis the recently developed duality covariant approach to string and Mtheory is investigated. In this formalism the U-duality symmetry of M-theory or Tduality symmetry of Type II string theory becomes manifest upon extending coordinates that describe a background. The effective potential of Double Field Theory is formulated only up to a boundary term and thus does not capture possible topological effects that may come from a boundary. By introducing a generalised normal we derive a manifestly duality covariant boundary term that reproduces the known Gibbons-Hawking action of General Relativity, if the section condition is imposed. It is shown that the full potential can be represented as a sum of the scalar potential of gauged supergravity and a topological term that is a full derivative. The latter is written totally in terms of the geometric flux and the non-geometric Q-flux integrated over the doubled torus. Next we show that the Scherk-Schwarz reduction of M-theory extended geometry successfully reproduces known structures of maximal gauged supergravities. Local symmetries of the extended space defined by a generalised Lie derivatives reduce to gauge transformations and lead to the embedding tensor written in terms of twist matrices. The scalar potential of maximal gauged supergravity that follows from the effective potential is shown to be duality invariant with no need of section condition. Instead, this condition, that assures the closure of the algebra of generalised diffeomorphisms, takes the form of the quadratic constraints on the embedding tensor.

Orientador: Nathan Jacob Berkovits
Banca: Horatiu Stefan Nastase
Banca: Vladimir Demyanovich Pershin
Resumo: A presente dissertação trata-se de uma revisão sobre amplitudes MHV na teoria de Yang-Mills e em sua extensão maximalmente supersimétrica. A demonstração da fórmula geral para tais amplitudes é dada no terceiro capítulo. Uma vez que o formalismo de twistors se apresenta como um interessante arcabouço teórico para o estudo de tais amplitudes, uma discussão sobre o mesmo e considerada, bem como sua extensão supersimétrica. Ao final, o cálculo de quatro e cinco pontos para amplitudes MHV em teoria de supercordas é apresentado. Para tal, foi utilizada a prescrição fornecida por Berkovits e Maldacena em [11]
Abstract: In the present work, we have provided a review about MHV amplitudes in Yang- Mills and maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. A proof of MHV formula was given in the third chapter. Since twistor formalism provides an interesting framework to study such amplitudes, a discussion about it is also considered as well as its supersymmetric extension. At the end, we have computed MHV four-point and ve-point gluon tree amplitudes in superstring theory, using a prescription given by Berkovits and Maldacena [11]
Mestre

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)
Primeiro vamos dar uma breve revisão sobre o artigo de Nekrasov “ Lectures on curved beta-gamma systems, pure spinors, and anomalies”, a fim de mostrar que o formalismo de espinor puro é livre de anomalia quando a origem é removido do espaço espinor puro. Desta forma, damos uma nova proposta para os operadores de imagem no formalismo de espinor puro mínimo. Nós calculamos amplitudes de espalhamento a nível de árvore, realizando a integração no espaço espinor puro como uma integral de Cauchy tipo multidimensional. A amplitude é escrita em termos de variáveis do espaço de espinor puro projetivo, o que é muito útil na hora de relacionar rigorosamente as versões mínima e não mínima do formalismo de espinor puro. A linguagem natural para relacionar esses formalismos é o isomorfismo de Cech-Dolbeault. Além disso, o cociclo de Dolbeault correspondente à amplitude de espalhamento a nível de árvore deve ser avaliada no espaço compacto SO(10)/SU(5) em vez de tudo o espaço de espinor puro, o que significa que a origem é removido neste espaço. Nós também obtimos uma relação entre a função de Green para um campo escalar sem massa em dez dimensões e as amplitude de espalhamento a nível de árvore. Os fatores globais constantes nas amplitudes de espalhamento são muito importante, porque eles precisam satisfazer as condições de unitariedade e S-dualidade [66]. Estes coeficientes não tinham sido computados no formalismo espinor puro, devido à dificuldade para resolver as integrais no espaço de espinores puro. Nós calculamos estas integrais usando o formalismo de espinor puro não mínimo. Assim, encontramos os coeficientes das amplitudes de um e dois-“loop” para quatro pontos sem massa. Contrastando com as dificuldades matemáticas no formalismo RNS, em que o desconhecimento das normalizações...
First, we give a brief review about the Nekrasov’s paper “Lectures on curved betagamma systems, pure spinors, and anomalies” in order to show the pure spinor formalism is anomaly free when the origin is removed from the pure spinor space. In this way we give a new proposal for the “picture lowering” operators in the minimal pure spinor formalism. We compute the tree level scattering amplitude by performing the integration over the pure spinor space as a multidimensional Cauchy-type integral. The amplitude is written in terms of the projective pure spinor variables, which turns out to be useful to relate rigorously the minimal and non-minimal versions of the pure spinor formalism. The natural language for relating these formalisms is the Cech-Dolbeault isomorphism. Moreover, the Dolbeault cocycle corresponding to the three-level scattering amplitude must be evaluated in SO(10)/SU(5) instead of the whole pure spinor space, which means that the origin is removed from this space. We also relate the Green’s function for the massless scalar field in ten dimensions to the tree-level scattering amplitude and comment about the scattering amplitude at higher orders. The overall constan factors in the scattering amplitudes are very important because they need to satisfy the unitarity and S-duality conditions [66]. These coefficients have not been computed in the pure spinor formalism due to the difficulty to solve the integrals on the pure spinors space. We compute these integrals by using the non-minimal pure spinor formalism. So, we find the coefficients of the massless one and two-loop four-point amplitude from first principles. Contrasting with the mathematical difficulties in the RNS formalism where unknown normalizations of chiral determinant formulæ force the two-loop coefficient to be... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)