D-branes Research Articles

A possible signature of extra-dimensions: The enhanced open string pair production

In analogy to the Schwinger pair production in QED, there exists also the so-called open string pair production for a system of two Dp branes, placed parallel at a separation, with at least one brane carrying a worldvolume electric flux, in Type II string theories. There is however no such pair production if an isolated Dp brane carrying an electric flux is considered. The produced open strings are directly related to the brane separation, therefore to the extra-dimensions if taken from the viewpoint of a brane observer. This pair production can be greatly enhanced if one Dp brane carries also a magnetic flux. The largest pair production rate occurs for p=3, i.e., the D3 brane system, with the same applied fluxes. A detection of this pair production by the brane observer as the charged particle/anti-charged particle pair one may signal the existence of extra-dimensions and therefore provides a potential means to test the underlying string theories.

Observable chiral gravitational waves from inflation in string theory

We consider gravitational wave production during inflation in type IIB string theory, and the possibility of observable gravitational waves in small field inflation. We show that the gauge field excitations on a set of coincident D7 branes, itself critical for moduli stabilization and hence intrinsic to inflation in string theory, coupled with axion fields from bulk fluxes, can act as a spectator sector during inflation. This results in a large production of chiral gravitational waves, even for relatively small values of the axion-gauge field coupling. We extend this to include a monodromy for the axion, and demonstrate that in both cases an observable level of gravitational waves is produced in small field inflation in string theory, with a spectrum that is maximally chiral. Finally, we demonstrate the consistency with moduli stabilization and with arbitrary (large or small field) inflationary dynamics of the host model, considering as an explicit example Kahler Moduli Inflation.

Wilson loop calculation in QGP using non-supersymmetric AdS/CFT

Previously, two of the present authors obtained the decoupling limit and the corresponding throat geometry of non-supersymmetric D3 brane solution of type IIB string theory. In analogy with the supersymmetric case, it describes the gravity dual of a non-supersymmetric gauge theory with QCD-like properties such as running coupling and confinement (or mass gap) in certain range of its parameters. In this paper, we consider a ‘black’ version of the non-supersymmetric D3 brane solution in the decoupling limit and use this gravity background to holographically compute the expectation value of a time-like Wilson loop which, in turn, is related to the potential of a heavy quark-antiquark pair. By boosting the gravity solution along one of the brane directions and placing the pair at an arbitrary orientation with this direction, we numerically obtain the variation of the screening length as well as the potential with velocity, its orientation with respect to the direction of motion and other parameters of the theory. Remarkably enough, our results are in qualitative agreement with those obtained holographically in supersymmetric gauge theories indicating that these features are quite robust and universal as they are insensitive to the presence of any supersymmetry in the theory. The physical interpretations of the variations with respect to the other parameters of the theory, not observed in supersymmetric theory, have also been given.

Wilson loops in 5d mathcal{N}=1 theories and S-duality

We study the action of S-duality on half-BPS Wilson loop operators in 5d mathcal{N}=1 theories. The duality is the statement that different massive deformations of a single 5d SCFT are described by different gauge theories, or equivalently that the SCFT points in parameter space of two gauge theories coincide. The pairs of dual theories that we study are realized by brane webs in type IIB string theory that are S-dual to each other. We focus on SU(2) SQCD theories with Nf ≤ 4 flavors, which are self-dual, and on SU(3) SQCD theories, which are dual to SU(2)2 quiver theories. From string theory engineering we predict that Wilson loops are mapped to dual Wilson loops under S-duality. We confirm the predictions with exact computations of Wilson loop VEVs, which we extract from the 5d half-index in the presence of auxiliary loop operators (also known as higher qq-characters) sourced by D3 branes placed in the brane webs. A special role is played by Wilson loops in tensor products of the (anti)fundamental representation, which provide a natural basis to express the S-duality action. The exact computations also reveal the presence of additional multiplicative factors in the duality map, in the form of background Wilson loops.

D-branes in \u03bb-deformations

We show that the geometric interpretation of D-branes in WZW models as twisted conjugacy classes persists in the λ-deformed theory. We obtain such configurations by demanding that a monodromy matrix constructed from the Lax connection of the λ-deformed theory continues to produce conserved charges in the presence of boundaries. In this way the D-brane configurations obtained correspond to “integrable” boundary configurations. We illustrate this with examples based on SU(2) and SL(2, ℝ), and comment on the relation of these D-branes to both non-Abelian T-duality and Poisson-Lie T-duality. We show that the D2 supported by D0 charge in the λ-deformed theory map, under analytic continuation together with Poisson-Lie T-duality, to D3 branes in the η-deformation of the principal chiral model.

Yukawa couplings from magnetized D-brane models on non-factorisable tori

We compute Yukawa couplings in type IIB string theory compactified on a non factorisable six-torus in the presence of D9 branes and fluxes. The setting studied in detail, is obtained by T-dualising an intersecting brane configuration of type IIA theory compactified on a torus generated by the SO(12) root lattice. Particular deformations of such torus are taken into account and provide moduli dependent couplings. Agreement with the type IIA result is found in a non trivial way. The classical type IIB calculation gives also information on a factor accessible only by quantum computations on the type IIA side.

Some aspects of interaction amplitudes of D branes carrying worldvolume fluxes

We report a systematic study of the stringy interaction between two sets of Dp branes placed parallel at a separation in the presence of two worldvolume fluxes for each set. We focus in this paper on that the two fluxes on one set have the same structure as those on the other set but they in general differ in values, which can be both electric or both magnetic or one electric and one magnetic. We compute the respective stringy interaction amplitude and find that the presence of electric fluxes gives rise to the open string pair production while that of magnetic ones to the open string tachyon mode. The interplay of these two leads to the open string pair production enhancement in certain cases when one flux is electric and the other is magnetic. In particular, we find that this enhancement occurs even when the electric flux and the magnetic one share one common field strength index which is impossible in the one-flux case studied previously by the present author and his collaborator in [17]. This type of enhancement may have realistic physical applications, say, as a means to explore the existence of extra dimensions.

Mink3 × S3 solutions of type II supergravity

We initiate the classification of supersymmetric solutions of type II supergravity on R1,2×S3×M4. We find explicit local expressions for all backgrounds with either a single Killing spinor or two of equal norm, up to PDE's. We show that the only type II AdS×4S3 solution is the known N=4 AdS4 background obtained from the near-horizon limit of intersecting D2–D6 branes. Various known branes and intersecting brane systems are recovered, and we obtain a novel class of R1,2×S2×S3 solutions in IIA.

E11, brane dynamics and duality symmetries

Following arXiv:hep-th/0412336 we use the nonlinear realisation of the semi-direct product of [Formula: see text] and its vector representation to construct brane dynamics. The brane moves through a space-time which arises in the nonlinear realisation from the vector representation and it contains the usual embedding coordinates as well as the worldvolume fields. The resulting equations of motion are first order in derivatives and can be thought of as duality relations. Each brane carries the full [Formula: see text] symmetry and so the Cremmer–Julia duality symmetries. We apply this theory to find the dynamics of the IIA and IIB strings, the M2 and M5 branes, the IIB D3 brane as well as the one and two branes in seven dimensions.

Holographic entanglement entropy and entanglement thermodynamics of ‘black’ non-susy D3 brane

Like BPS D3 brane, the non-supersymmetric (non-susy) D3 brane of type IIB string theory is also known to have a decoupling limit and leads to a non-supersymmetric AdS/CFT correspondence. The throat geometry in this case represents a QFT which is neither conformal nor supersymmetric. The ‘black’ version of the non-susy D3 brane in the decoupling limit describes a QFT at finite temperature. Here we first compute the entanglement entropy for small subsystem of such QFT from the decoupled geometry of ‘black’ non-susy D3 brane using holographic technique. Then we study the entanglement thermodynamics for the weakly excited states of this QFT from the asymptotically AdS geometry of the decoupled ‘black’ non-susy D3 brane. We observe that for small subsystem this background indeed satisfies a first law like relation with a universal (entanglement) temperature inversely proportional to the size of the subsystem and an (entanglement) pressure normal to the entangling surface. Finally we show how the entanglement entropy makes a cross-over to the thermal entropy at high temperature.

To gauge or not to gauge?

The D0 brane, or BFSS, matrix model is a quantum mechanical theory with an interesting gravity dual. We consider a variant of this model where we treat the SU(N) symmetry as a global symmetry, rather than as a gauge symmetry. This variant contains new non-singlet states. We consider the impact of these new states on its gravity dual. We argue that the gravity dual is essentially the same as the one for the original matrix model. The non-singlet states have higher energy at strong coupling and are therefore dynamically suppressed.

Holographic complexity and noncommutative gauge theory

We study the holographic complexity of noncommutative field theories. The four-dimensional mathcal{N}=4 noncommutative super Yang-Mills theory with Moyal algebra along two of the spatial directions has a well known holographic dual as a type IIB supergravity theory with a stack of D3 branes and non-trivial NS-NS B fields. We start from this example and find that the late time holographic complexity growth rate, based on the “complexity equals action” conjecture, experiences an enhancement when the non-commutativity is turned on. This enhancement saturates a new limit which is exactly 1/4 larger than the commutative value. We then attempt to give a quantum mechanics explanation of the enhancement. Finite time behavior of the complexity growth rate is also studied. Inspired by the non-trivial result, we move on to more general setup in string theory where we have a stack of Dp branes and also turn on the B field. Multiple noncommutative directions are considered in higher p cases.

Brane world models with bulk perfect fluid and broken 4D Poincaré invariance

We consider 5D brane world models with broken global 4D Poincar\a'{e} invariance (4D part of the spacetime metric is not conformal to the Minkowski spacetime). The bulk is filled with the negative cosmological constant and may contain a perfect fluid. In the case of empty bulk (the perfect fluid is absent), it is shown that one brane solution always has either a physical or a coordinate singularity in the bulk. We cut off these singularities in the case of compact two brane model and obtain regular exact solutions for both 4D Poincar\a'{e} broken and restored invariance. When the perfect fluid is present in the bulk, we get the master equation for the metric coefficients in the case of arbitrary bulk perfect fluid equation of state (EoS) parameters. In two particular cases of EoS, we obtain the analytic solutions for thin and thick branes. First one generalizes the well known Randall-Sundrum model with one brane to the case of the bulk anisotropic perfect fluid. In the second solution, the 4D Poincar\a'{e} invariance is restored. Here, the spacetime goes asymptotically to the anti-de Sitter one far from the thick brane.

Quantised relativistic membranes and non-perturbative checks of gauge/gravity duality

We test the background geometry of the BFSS model using a D4–brane probe. This proves a sensitive test of the geometry and we find excellent agreement with the D4–brane predictions based on the solution of a membrane corresponding to the D4–brane propagating on this background.

6d string chains

We consider bound states of strings which arise in 6d (1,0) SCFTs that are realized in F-theory in terms of linear chains of spheres with negative self-intersections 1,2, and 4. These include the strings associated to N small E8 instantons, as well as the ones associated to M5 branes probing A and D type singularities in M-theory or D5 branes probing ADE singularities in Type IIB string theory. We find that these bound states of strings admit (0,4) supersymmetric quiver descriptions and show how one can compute their elliptic genera.

Entanglement entropy of AdS5 × S5 with massive flavors

We consider backreacted [Formula: see text] coupled with [Formula: see text] massive flavors introduced by D7 branes. The backreacted geometry is in the Veneziano limit with fixed [Formula: see text]. By dividing one of the directions into a line segment with length l, we get two subspaces. Then we calculate the entanglement entropy between them. With the method of [I. R. Klebanov, D. Kutasov and A. Murugan, Nucl. Phys. B 796, 274 (2008)], we are able to find the cut-off independent part of the entanglement entropy and finally find that this geometry shows no confinement/deconfinement phase transition at zero temperature from the holographic entanglement entropy point of view similar to the case in pure [Formula: see text].

Probing η deformed backgrounds with Dp branes

In this Letter, based on the notion of Gauge/Gravity duality we explore the low frequency behaviour associated with the retarded two point correlators in the ground state of the strongly correlated quantum liquid that is dual to η-deformed background in (2+1)D. The massless charge carriers in the dual gauge theory are sourced due to some probeNf flavour Dp brane configurations in the bulk. In our analysis we stick to the NS sector and compute the two point correlators by turning on fluctuations associated with the worldvolume gauge fields in the bulk spacetime. Our analysis reveals the existence of holographic zero sound modes for (1+1)D QFTs those are dual to bosonic η deformed AdS3×S3 with vanishing RR fields.

Supersymmetric D3/D5 for massive defects on curved space

We construct the holographic dual for mathcal{N}=4 SYM on S4 and AdS4 coupled to massive mathcal{N}=2 supersymmetric quenched flavor fields on a codimension-1 defect, which is S3 and AdS3, respectively. The holographic description is in terms of a D3/probe D5 brane system. We set up and reduce the BPS equations for D5-brane embeddings with arbitrary supersymmetric deformations and partly solve them at the non-linear level. The remaining equations are solved explicitly in a small-mass expansion. We compute the contribution of the defect fields to the partition function on S4 and compare to a field theory computation using supersymmetric localization, for which we set up the matrix model. Both computations agree, lending strong support to holographic probe brane constructions using D3/D5 configurations in general.

Magnetically-enhanced open string pair production

We consider the stringy interaction between two parallel stacks of D3 branes placed at a separation. Each stack of D3 branes in a similar fashion carry an electric flux and a magnetic flux with the two sharing no common field strength index. The interaction amplitude has an imaginary part, giving rise to the Schwinger-like pair production of open strings. We find a significantly enhanced rate of this production when the two electric fluxes are almost identical and the brane separation is on the order of string scale. This enhancement will be largest if the two magnetic fluxes are opposite in direction. This novel enhancement results from the interplay of the non-perturbative Schwinger-type pair production due to the electric flux and the stringy tachyon due to the magnetic flux, and may have realistic physical applications.

Global orientifolded quivers with inflation

We describe global embeddings of fractional D3 branes at orientifolded singularities in type IIB flux compactifications. We present an explicit Calabi-Yau example where the chiral visible sector lives on a local orientifolded quiver while non-perturbative effects, α′ corrections and a T-brane hidden sector lead to full closed string moduli stabilisation in a de Sitter vacuum. The same model can also successfully give rise to inflation driven by a del Pezzo divisor. Our model represents the first explicit Calabi-Yau example featuring both an inflationary and a chiral visible sector.