Alpha-prime corrections to space-like branes

Abstract

Space-like branes or S-branes are certain class of time dependent solutions of M/string theories having isometries ISO(p+1) × SO(d−p−2,1), where d = 11,10 respectively and have singularities at t = 0. In [1], we found that the asymptotically flat S-branes have the structure of generalized Kasner geometry near t = 0. In this work we evaluate higher order α' corrections perturbatively to the heterotic string Kasner backgrounds to probe the singularity at t = 0. We generally find that the perturbative corrections do not permit us to reach the singular point, as the supergravity framework fails near t ∼ √α' blurring the origin of space-like singularities. This is analogous to the concept of stretched horizons in the case of black holes.