Brane Collision Research Articles

A note on spherically symmetric, static spacetimes in Kanno–Soda on-brane gravity

Spherically symmetric, static on-brane geometries in the Kanno–Soda (KS) effective scalar–tensor theory of on-brane gravity are discussed. In order to avoid brane collisions and/or an infinite inter-brane distance, at finite values of the brane coordinates, it is necessary that the radion scalar be everywhere finite and non-zero. This requirement constrains the viability of the standard, well-known solutions in general relativity (GR), in the context of the KS effective theory. The radion for the Schwarzschild solution does not satisfy the above requirement. For the Reissner–Nordstrom (RN) naked singularity and the extremal RN solution, one can obtain everywhere finite, non-zero radion profiles, though the required on-brane matter violates the Weak Energy Condition. In contrast, for the RN black hole, the radion profile yields a divergent inter-brane distance at the horizon, which makes the solution unphysical. Thus, both the Schwarzschild and the RN solutions can be meaningful in the KS effective theory, only in the trivial GR limit, i.e. with a constant, non-zero radion.

Radion stability and induced, on-brane geometries in an effective scalar-tensor theory of gravity

About a decade ago, using a specific expansion scheme, effective, on-brane scalar tensor theories of gravity were proposed by Kanno and Soda (Phys.Rev. {\bf D 66} 083506 ,(2002)) in the context of the warped two brane model of Randall--Sundrum. The inter-related effective theories on both the branes were derived with the space-time dependent radion field playing a crucial role. Taking a re-look at this effective theory, we find cosmological and spherically symmetric, static solutions sourced by a radion--induced, effective stress energy, as well as additional, on-brane matter. The distance between the branes (governed by the time or space dependent radion) is shown to be stable and asymptotically non-zero, thereby setting aside any possibility of brane collisions. It turns out that the inclusion of on-brane matter plays a decisive role in stabilising the radion - a fact which we demonstrate through our solutions.

Quantum Entanglement on Cosmological Scale

It has been indicated that relational logic may serve as the common foundation of quantum mechanics and string theory. A relation may be represented by a spinor and the Cartan-Penrose connection of spinor to geometry, allows to abstract geometry as the outcome of entangled relations-spinors. Our approach goes in parallel with Wheeler’s pregeometry, where pregeometry, the stage preceding geometry, is based on a calculus of relations-propositions. With a single spinor related to the null cone of Minkowski space-time, we search for the geometry when we couple a left-handed spinor and a right-handed spinor. We find that a Majorana-type coupling gives rise to the ordinary entanglement, while a Diractype coupling generates an extra dimension with two branes coexisting in the extra dimension. One brane hosts lefthanded particles (our brane), while the other brane hosts right-handed particles. A distinct phenomenology accompanies our proposal. The left-right symmetry is achieved with having two “mirror” branes and the neutrino appears as the ideal mediator between the branes. We may revisit also the dark matter, dark energy issues, with everything on the other brane and in the bulk appearing “dark” to us. During the brane collision all points are causally connected, making less pressing the inflationary scenario. Our scheme brings closer logic—quantum theory—cosmology, while space-time, rather than an abstract and an a priori construction, appears as the outcome of a quantum logical act.

Dynamicalp-branes with a cosmological constant

We present a class of dynamical solutions in a D-dimensional gravitational theory coupled to a dilaton, a form field strength, and a cosmological constant. We find that for any D due to the presence of a cosmological constant, the metric of solutions depends on a quadratic function of the brane world volume coordinates, and the transverse space cannot be Ricci flat except for the case of 1-branes. We then discuss the dynamics of 1-branes in a D-dimensional spacetime. For a positive cosmological constant, 1-brane solutions with D>4 approach the Milne universe in the far-brane region. On the other hand, for a negative cosmological constant, each 1-brane approaches the others as the time evolves from a positive value, but no brane collision occurs for D>4, since the spacetime close to the 1-branes eventually splits into the separate domains. In contrast, the D=3 case provides an example of colliding 1-branes. Finally, we discuss the dynamics of 0-branes and show that for D>2, they behave like the Milne universe after the infinite cosmic time has passed.

String wave function across a Kasner singularity

A collision of orbifold planes in 11 dimensions has been proposed as an explanation of the hot big bang [1,2,10]. When the two planes are close to each other, the winding membranes become the lightest modes of the theory, and can be effectively described in terms of fundamental strings in a ten-dimensional background. Near the brane collision, the 11-dimensional metric is a Euclidean space times a $1+1$-dimensional Milne universe. However, one may expect small perturbations to lead into a more general Kasner background. In this paper we extend the previous classical analysis of winding membranes to Kasner backgrounds, and using the Hamiltonian equations, solve for the wave function of loops with circular symmetry. The evolution across the singularity is regular, and explained in terms of the excitement of higher oscillation modes. We also show there is finite particle production and unitarity is preserved.

Space–time dimensionality from brane collisions

Collisions and subsequent decays of higher dimensional branes leave behind three-dimensional branes and anti-branes, one of which could play the rôle of our universe. This process also leads to the production of one-dimensional branes and anti-branes, however their number is expected to be suppressed. Brane collisions may also lead to the formation of bound states of branes. Their existence does not alter this result, it just allows for the existence of one-dimensional branes captured within the three-dimensional ones.

Cyclic universes from general collisionless braneworld models

We investigate the full 5D dynamics of general braneworld models. Without making any further assumptions we show that cyclic behavior can arise naturally in a fraction of physically accepted solutions. The model does not require brane collisions, which in the stationary case remain fixed, and cyclicity takes place on the branes. We indicate that the cosmological constants play the central role for the realization of cyclic solutions and we show that its extremely small value on the observable universe makes the period of the cycles and the maximum scale factor astronomically large.

Relic topological defects from brane annihilation simulated in superfluid 3He

Although it is widely accepted that to resolve the ‘horizon’ problem the early Universe must have undergone a sudden expansion (cosmic inflation), what mechanism drove this process is less clear. In the braneworld scenario, it is suggested that inflationary epochs may have been initiated and terminated by brane collisions and annihilations1,2,3. Branes are objects of lower dimensionality embedded in a higher-dimensional matrix. For example, we may live on a three-dimensional brane embedded in a four-dimensional matrix. However, such structures are so far removed from everyday reality that bringing physical insight to bear is difficult. Here we report laboratory experiments where we simulate brane annihilation using the closest brane analogue to which we have access, the coherent phase boundary between the two phases of superfluid 3He. When two branes collide or annihilate, topological defects may be created, whose influence may still be detectable today. By creating a brane–antibrane pair in superfluid 3He and subsequently annihilating it, we can detect that defects are indeed created in the superfluid texture (the superfluid analogue of spacetime), thus confirming that the concept of defect formation after brane annihilation in the early Universe can be reproduced in analogous systems in the laboratory.

Generating ekpyrotic curvature perturbations before the big bang

We analyze a general mechanism for producing a nearly scale-invariant spectrum of cosmological curvature perturbations during a contracting phase preceding a big bang, which can be entirely described using 4D effective field theory. The mechanism, based on first producing entropic perturbations and then converting them to curvature perturbations, can be naturally incorporated in cyclic and ekpyrotic models in which the big bang is modeled as a brane collision, as well as other types of cosmological models with a pre-big bang phase. We show that the correct perturbation amplitude can be obtained and that the spectral tilt ${n}_{s}$ tends to range from slightly blue to red, with $0.97<{n}_{s}<1.02$ for the simplest models, a range compatible with current observations but shifted by a few percent towards the blue compared to the prediction of the simplest, large-field inflationary models.

Topological defects from first-order gauge theory phase transitions

We investigate the mechanism by which topological defects form in first order phase transitions with a charged order parameter. We show how thick superconductor vortices and heavy cosmic strings form by trapping of magnetic flux. In an external magnetic field, intermediate objects such as strips and membranes of magnetic flux and chains of single winding defects are produced. At non-zero temperature, a variety of spontaneous defects of different winding numbers arise. In cosmology, our results mean that the magnetic flux thermal fluctuations get trapped in a primordial multi-tension string network. The mechanism may also apply to the production of cosmic-like strings in brane collisions. In a thin type-I superconductor film, flux strips are found to be meta-stable while thick vortices are stable up to some critical value of the winding number which increases with the thickness of the film. In addition, a non-dissipative Josephson-like current is obtained across the strips of quantized magnetic flux.

Bpolarization of the cosmic microwave background as a tracer of strings

String models can produce successful inflationary scenarios in the context of brane collisions, and in many of these models cosmic strings may also be produced. In scenarios such as Kachru-Kallosh-Linde-Maldacena-McAllister-Trivedi (KKLMMT) scenario the string contribution is naturally predicted to be well below the inflationary signal for cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropies, in agreement with the existing limits. We find that for $B$ type polarization of CMB the situation is reversed and the dominant signal comes from vector modes generated by cosmic strings, which exceeds the gravity wave signal from both inflation and strings. The signal can be detected for a broad range of parameter space; future polarization experiments may be able to detect the string signal down to the string tension $G\ensuremath{\mu}={10}^{\ensuremath{-}9}$, although foregrounds and lensing are likely to worsen these limits. We argue that the optimal scale to search for the string signature is at $\ensuremath{\ell}\ensuremath{\sim}1000$, but in models with high optical depth the signal from reionization peak at large scales is also significant. The shape of the power spectrum allows one to distinguish the string signature from the gravity waves from inflation, but only with a sufficiently high angular resolution experiment.

LIOUVILLE COSMOLOGY AT ZERO AND FINITE TEMPERATURES

We discuss cosmology in the context of Liouville strings, characterized by a central-charge deficit Q2, in which target time is identified with (the worldsheet zero mode of the) Liouville field: Q-Cosmology. We use a specific example of colliding braneworlds to illustrate the phase diagram of this cosmological framework. The collision provides the necessary initial cosmological instability, expressed as a departure from conformal invariance in the underlying string model. The brane motion provides a way of breaking target-space supersymmetry, and leads to various phases of the brane and bulk Universes. Specifically, we find a hot metastable phase for the bulk string Universe soon after the brane collision in which supersymmetry is broken, which we describe by means of a subcritical worldsheet σ-model dressed by a spacelike Liouville field, representing finite temperature (Euclidean time). This phase is followed by an inflationary phase for the brane Universe, in which the bulk string excitations are cold. This is described by a super-critical Liouville string with a timelike Liouville mode, whose zero mode is identified with the Minkowski target time. Finally, we speculate on possible ways of exiting the inflationary phase, either by means of subsequent collisions or by deceleration of the brane Universe due to closed-string radiation from the brane to the bulk. While phase transitions from hot to cold configurations occur in the bulk string universe, stringy excitations attached to the braneworld remain thermalized throughout, at a temperature which can be relatively high. The late-time behavior of the model results in dilaton-dominated dark energy and present-day acceleration of the expansion of the Universe, asymptoting eventually to zero.

High-energy effective theory for a bulk brane

We derive an effective theory describing the physics of a bulk brane in the context of the RS1 model. This theory goes beyond the usual low energy effective theory in that it describes the regime where the bulk brane has a large velocity and the radion can change rapidly. We achieve this by concentrating on the region where the distance between the orbifold planes is small in comparison to the AdS length scale. Consequently our effective theory will describe the physics shortly before a bulk/boundary or boundary/boundary brane collision. We study the cosmological solutions and find that, at large velocities, the bulk brane decouples from the matter on the boundary branes, a result which remains true for cosmological perturbations.

An explicit example of a moduli driven phase transition in heterotic models

We present an explicit example of a gauge symmetry breaking phase transition in heterotic models, the dynamics of which are not thermal and can be described in a well controlled manner throughout. The phase transition is driven by the evolution of bundle moduli---moduli associated with gauge field vacuum expectation values in the hidden dimensions. We present the necessary parts of the four dimensional effective theory including moduli which describe the embedding of the gauge bundle within the gauge group. We then present exact cosmological solutions to the system before going on to use them to describe the phase transition. The explicit nature of our description enables us to plot how the gauge bosons associated with the symmetries which are broken in the transition gain masses with time. This is in contrast to the use, for example, of a brane collision as a modulus driven phase transition. In the course of this work we find a number of other interesting results. We observe that the K\"ahler potential of the system is given by the logarithm of the volume of the compact space even when bundle moduli are included. We also note that the dynamics of the gauge bundle mean that small instanton transitions are classically forbidden for all but a set of measure zero of the initial conditions of the system. The paper is written in such a manner that the cosmological description of the phase transition can be read independently of the derivation of the four dimensional theory.

Erratum: Scaling of multitension cosmic superstring networks [Phys. Rev. DPRVDAQ0556-282171, 103508 (2005)

Brane inflation in superstring theory ends when branes collide, initiating the hot big bang. Cosmic superstrings are produced during the brane collision. The cosmic superstrings produced in a D3-brane-antibrane inflationary scenario have a spectrum: $(p,q)$ bound states of $p$ fundamental (F) strings and $q$ D-strings, where $p$ and $q$ are coprime. By extending the velocity-dependent one-scale network evolution equations for abelian Higgs cosmic strings to allow a spectrum of string tensions, we construct a coupled (infinite) set of equations for strings that interact through binding and self-interactions. We apply this model to a network of $(p,q)$ superstrings. Our numerical solutions show that $(p,q)$ networks rapidly approach a stable scaling solution. We also extract the relative densities of each string type from our solutions. Typically, only a small number of the lowest tension states are populated substantially once scaling is reached. The model we study also has an interesting new feature: the energy released in $(p,q)$ string binding is by itself adequate to allow the network to reach scaling. This result suggests that the scaling solution is robust. To demonstrate that this result is not trivial, we show that choosing a different form for string interactions can lead to network frustration.

High-energy theory for close Randall-Sundrum branes

We obtain an effective theory for the radion dynamics of the two-brane Randall-Sundrum model, correct to all orders in brane velocity in the limit of close separation, which is of interest for studying brane collisions and early universe cosmology. Obtained via a recursive solution of the bulk equation of motion, the resulting theory represents a simple extension of the corresponding low-energy effective theory to the high-energy regime. The four-dimensional low-energy theory is indeed not valid when corrections at second order in velocity are considered. This extension has the remarkable property of including only second derivatives and powers of first order derivatives. This important feature makes the theory particularly easy to solve. We then extend the theory by introducing a potential and detuning the branes.

Numerical solution of the ekpyrotic scenario in the moduli space approximation

A numerical solution to the equations of motion for the ekpyrotic bulk brane scenario in the moduli space approximation is presented. The visible universe brane has positive tension, and we use a potential that goes to zero exponentially at large distance, and also goes to zero at small distance. In the case considered, no bulk brane, visible brane collision occurs in the solution. This property and the general behavior of the solution is qualitatively the same when the visible brane tension is negative, and for many different parameter choices.

Scaling of multitension cosmic superstring networks

Brane inflation in superstring theory ends when branes collide, initiating the hot big bang. Cosmic superstrings are produced during the brane collision. The cosmic superstrings produced in a $D3$-brane-antibrane inflationary scenario have a spectrum: $(p,q)$ bound states of $p$ fundamental ($F$) strings and $q$ $D$-strings, where $p$ and $q$ are coprime. By extending the velocity-dependent one-scale network evolution equations for Abelian Higgs cosmic strings to allow a spectrum of string tensions, we construct a coupled (infinite) set of equations for strings that interact through binding and self-interactions. We apply this model to a network of $(p,q)$ superstrings. Our numerical solutions show that $(p,q)$ networks rapidly approach a stable scaling solution. We also extract the relative densities of each string type from our solutions. Typically, only a small number of the lowest tension states are populated substantially once scaling is reached. The model we study also has an interesting new feature: the energy released in $(p,q)$ string binding is by itself adequate to allow the network to reach scaling. This result suggests that the scaling solution is robust. To demonstrate that this result is not trivial, we show that choosing a different form for string interactions can lead to network frustration.

Brane Worlds in Collision

We obtain an exact solution of the supergravity equations of motion in which the four-dimensional observed Universe is one of a number of colliding D3 branes in a Calabi-Yau background. The collision results in the ten-dimensional spacetime splitting into disconnected regions, bounded by curvature singularities. However, near the D3 branes the metric remains static during and after the collision. We also obtain a general class of solutions representing p-brane collisions in arbitrary dimensions, including one in which the universe ends with the mutual annihilation of a positive-tension and a negative-tension 3 brane.

Relativistic D-brane Scattering is Extremely Inelastic

We study the effects of quantum production of open strings on the relativistic scattering of D-branes. We find strong corrections to the brane trajectory from copious production of highly-excited open strings, whose typical oscillator level is proportional to the square of the rapidity. In the corrected trajectory, the branes rapidly coincide and remain trapped in a configuration with enhanced symmetry. This is a purely stringy effect which makes relativistic brane collisions exceptionally inelastic. We trace this effect to velocity-dependent corrections to the open-string mass, which render open strings between relativistic D-branes surprisingly light. We observe that pair-creation of open strings could play an important role in cosmological scenarios in which branes approach each other at very high speeds.