Magnetic backgrounds and tachyonic instabilities in closed string theory
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Published version
Author(s)
Tseytlin, AA
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We consider closed superstrings in Melvin-type magnetic backgrounds. In the case of NS-NS backgrounds, these are exactly solvable as weakly coupled string models with spectrum containing tachyonic modes. Magnetic field allows one to interpolate between free superstring theories with periodic and antiperiodic boundary conditions for the fermions around some compact direction, and, in particular, between type 0 and type II string theories. Using “9–11” flip, this interpolation can be extended to M-theory and may be used to study the issue of tachyon condensation in type 0 string theory. We review related duality proposals, and, in particular, suggest a description of type 0 theory in terms of M-theory in a curved magnetic flux background in which the type 0 tachyon appears to correspond to a state in d=11 supergravity fluctuation spectrum.
Date Issued
2002-01-23
Date Acceptance
2002-01-01
Citation
AIP Conference Proceedings, 2002, 607 (1), pp.269-278
ISSN
1551-7616
Publisher
AIP Publishing
Start Page
269
End Page
278
Journal / Book Title
AIP Conference Proceedings
Volume
607
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2002 American Institute of Physics.
Identifier
http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0108140v2
Subjects
hep-th
hep-th
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
269
Date Publish Online
2002-02-25