Light Strings

Superstring theory and its successor, M-theory, hold promises of a deeper understanding of the Standard Model of particle physics, the unification of the four fundamental forces, the quantum theory of gravity, the mysteries of quantum black holes, Big Bang cosmology and, ultimately, their complete synthesis in a final theory of physics.This volume records the proceedings of the major annual international conference on the subject, ?Strings 2000?, which involved 42 talks by the world's leading experts on string theory and M-theory. It will be of interest not only to researchers in the field but also to all those who wish to keep abreast of the latest developments and breakthroughs in this exciting area of theoretical physics.

First Published in 2018. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an Informa company.

Many of the topics in this book are outgrowths of the spectacular new understanding of duality in string theory which emerged around 1995. They include the AdS/CFT correspondence and its relation to holography, the matrix theory formulation of M theory, the structure of black holes in string theory, the structure of D-branes and M-branes, and detailed development of dualities with N = 1 and N = 2 supersymmetry. In addition, there are lectures covering experimental and phenomenological aspects of the Standard Model and its extensions, and discussions on cosmology including both theoretical aspects and the exciting new experimental evidence for a non-zero cosmological constant. Contents: TASI Lectures on Branes, Black Holes and Anti-De Sitter Space (M J Duff); D-Brane Primer (C V Johnson); TASI Lectures on Black Holes in String Theory (A W Peet); TASI Lectures: Cosmology for String Theorists (S M Carroll); TASI Lectures on Matrix Theory (T Banks); TASI Lectures on M Theory Phenomenology (M Dine); TASI Lectures: Introduction to the AdS/CFT Correspondence (I R Klebanov); TASI Lectures on Compactification and Duality (D R Morrison); Compactification, Geometry and Duality: N =2 (P S Aspinwall); TASI Lectures on Non-BPS D-Brane Systems (J H Schwarz); Lectures on Warped Compactifications and Stringy Brane Constructions (S Kachru); TASI Lectures on the Holographic Principle (D Bigatti & L Susskind). Readership: Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and researchers in high energy physics.

Following on the foundations laid in his earlier book "Introduction to Superstrings", Professor Kaku discusses such topics as the classification of conformal string theories, the non-polynomial closed string field theory, matrix models, and topological field theory. The presentation of the material is self-contained, and several chapters review material expounded in the earlier book. This book provides students with an understanding of the main areas of current progress in string theory, placing the reader at the forefront of current research.

Some topics covered during the workshop include String Theory, Conformal Field Theory, Physics in 2+1 Dimensions, String Phenomenology and Quantum Cosmology. Contents:Non-Perturbative String Theory (D J Gross)Random Superstrings (W Siegel)The BRST Cohomology of an N = 1 Superparticle (M Green and C M Hull)Singularities in String Theory (G T Horowitz)Thermal Properties of Open Strings in Lower Dimensions (L Clavelli)Super-W Algebras and Generalized Super-KdV Equations (T Inami)Fermionic Conformal Field Theory (L Dolan)Moduli Space of Calabi–Yau Manifolds (P Candelas and X C de la Ossa)Cosmology as a Probe of (Almost) Planck Scale Physics (R M Brandenberger)and other papers Readership: High energy physicists and mathematical physicists.

The guitar is more than a musical instrument. It is an archetype. In homage, Light Strings brings together two masters of their craft: photographer Ralph Gibson and former guitarist for the Police, Andy Summers. Gibson's enigmatic and sensuously elegant photographs are the visual counterpart to Summers' lyrical history and thoughtful exploration of the instrument's features. Together they create a unique poetic meditation on the guitar. Both artists pay attention to the form of the guitar and its relationship to the body; its curves echo the human figure, not only requiring it to be cradled to play it, but inviting a study of its own sumptuous anatomy. With over one hundred alluring images that capture the graceful details of the instrument, Light Strings is the book for every guitar player.

The PASCOS (International Symposium on Particles, Strings and Cosmology) series brings together the leading experts and most active young researchers in the closely related fields of elementary particle physics, string theory and cosmology/astrophysics. These areas of research have become increasingly intertwined in recent years, each having direct impact on the others. In particular, there has been a dramatic expansion of ideas from particle theory and string theory that have vast impact on cosmology, especially our picture of the early universe and its evolution. Correspondingly, the proliferation of data regarding the early universe, and its increasing precision, has begun to strongly constrain the theoretical models. Meanwhile, observations of neutrino oscillations and cosmic ray excesses, and limits on new physics from colliders and other particle experiments, as well as the resulting restrictions on theoretical and phenomenological modeling, are becoming ever stronger. During PASCOS99, it became clear that the long-awaited era of convergence of these fields is truly at hand.The proceedings of PASCOS 99 reflect the accelerating overlap and convergence of the fields of elementary particles physics, string theory and cosmology/astrophysics. Plenary reviews by leading figures in these fields provide perspectives on these interrelationships and up-to-the-minute summaries of recent progress in the various areas. Parallel talk summaries focus on many of the topics within each field of greatest current interest and activity. Both the plenary and parallel writeups are designed to be descriptive in nature and avoid being overly technical. As a result, the volume can serve as a useful reference for students and professionals in all three fields. Careful referencing allows further pursuit of a given topic. Overall, the proceedings are unique in that they not only bring together in a single volume comprehensive overview of the great progress being made in all three of these very exciting fields, but also provide a snapshot of how particles, strings and cosmology are increasingly impacting one another.