In string theory and related theories such as supergravity theories, a brane is a physical object that generalizes the notion of a point particle to higher dimensions. Branes are dynamical objects which can propagate through spacetime according to the rules of quantum mechanics. They have mass and can have other attributes such as charge.
Mathematically, branes can be represented within , and are studied in pure mathematics for insight into homological mirror symmetry and noncommutative geometry.
A point particle can be viewed as a brane of dimension zero, while a string can be viewed as a brane of dimension one.
In addition to point particles and strings, it is possible to consider higher-dimensional branes. A p-dimensional brane is generally called "p-brane".
The term "p-brane" was coined by M. J. Duff et al. in 1988; "brane" comes from the word "membrane" which refers to a two-dimensional brane.
A p-brane sweeps out a (p+1)-dimensional volume in spacetime called its worldvolume. Physicists often study fields analogous to the electromagnetic field, which live on the worldvolume of a brane.
D-brane
In string theory, a string may be open (forming a segment with two endpoints) or closed (forming a closed loop). D-branes are an important class of branes that arise when one considers open strings. As an open string propagates through spacetime, its endpoints are required to lie on a D-brane. The letter "D" in D-brane refers to the Dirichlet boundary condition, which the D-brane satisfies.
One crucial point about D-branes is that the dynamics on the D-brane worldvolume is described by a gauge theory, a kind of highly symmetric physical theory which is also used to describe the behavior of elementary particles in the standard model of particle physics. This connection has led to important insights into gauge theory and quantum field theory. For example, it led to the discovery of the AdS/CFT correspondence, a theoretical tool that physicists use to translate difficult problems in gauge theory into more mathematically tractable problems in string theory.
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This course is an introduction to the non-perturbative bootstrap approach to Conformal Field Theory and to the Gauge/Gravity duality, emphasizing the fruitful interplay between these two ideas.
Superstring theory is an attempt to explain all of the particles and fundamental forces of nature in one theory by modeling them as vibrations of tiny supersymmetric strings. 'Superstring theory' is a shorthand for supersymmetric string theory because unlike bosonic string theory, it is the version of string theory that accounts for both fermions and bosons and incorporates supersymmetry to model gravity. Since the second superstring revolution, the five superstring theories (Type I, Type IIA, Type IIB, HO and HE) are regarded as different limits of a single theory tentatively called M-theory.
In algebraic geometry and theoretical physics, mirror symmetry is a relationship between geometric objects called Calabi–Yau manifolds. The term refers to a situation where two Calabi–Yau manifolds look very different geometrically but are nevertheless equivalent when employed as extra dimensions of string theory. Early cases of mirror symmetry were discovered by physicists.
In string theory, D-branes, short for Dirichlet membrane, are a class of extended objects upon which open strings can end with Dirichlet boundary conditions, after which they are named. D-branes are typically classified by their spatial dimension, which is indicated by a number written after the D. A D0-brane is a single point, a D1-brane is a line (sometimes called a "D-string"), a D2-brane is a plane, and a D25-brane fills the highest-dimensional space considered in bosonic string theory.
Covers AdS/CFT correspondence, Ising model critical points, gravitons, stress tensor identities, holographic CFTs, and observables in CFTs.
Explores black holes and string theory solutions in higher-dimensional space.
Covers the analysis of membrane forces in cylindrical and spherical shell structures using the membrane theory of shells.
We study the geometry of the scalar manifolds emerging in the no-scale sector of Kahler moduli and matter fields in generic Calabi-Yau string compactifications, and describe its implications on scalar masses. We consider both heterotic and orientifold mode ...
Springer2012
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We study complex CFTs describing fixed points of the two-dimensional Q-state Potts model with Q > 4. Their existence is closely related to the weak first-order phase transition and the "walking" renormalization group (RG) behavior present in the real Potts ...
This research aims to enhance the knowledge on stress–strain states of a coiled pipe used for Hydraulic transient experiments. The membrane theory of shells of revolution has been applied for the description of axial and circumferential strains while an in ...