String Theory and the Real World: From particle physics to astrophysics (eBook)

Front cover 1
String Theory and the Real World: From Particle Physics to Astrophysics 4
Copyright page 5
Previous sessions 7
Organizers 10
Lecturers 10
Participants 11
Foreword 14
Contents 20
Course 1. Topics in string phenomenology 30
1. Introduction 34
2. Framework of low scale strings 36
3. Experimental implications in accelerators 37
4. Supersymmetry in the bulk and short range forces 43
5. Electroweak symmetry breaking 47
6. Standard Model on D-branes 50
7. Internal magnetic fields 55
8. Minimal Standard Model embedding 56
9. Moduli stabilization 58
10. Gaugino masses and D-term gauge mediation 67
References 67
Course 2. Orientifolds, And The Search for the Standard Model in String Theory 74
1. Introduction 78
2. What we are looking for 83
3. Classification of bottom-up embeddings 88
4. Statistics of bottom-up configurations 102
5. Top-down configurations and SM spectra 109
6. Solutions to the tadpole conditions 126
7. Phenomenological implications and the problem of masses 138
8. Dependence of the results on the Calabi-Yau topology 146
References 146
Course 3. Lectures on Supersymmetry Breaking 154
1. Introduction 158
2. Semiclassical spontaneous supersymmetry breaking 160
3. Supersymmetric QCD 179
4. Dynamical supersymmetry breaking 188
Course 4. Supersymmetry and the Real World 202
1. Summary 206
References 206
Course 5. Les Houches Lectures on Cosmology and Fundamental Theory 208
1. Review of standard cosmology 212
2. Review of standard inflationary theory 215
3. Generation of fluctuations during inflation 219
4. Models of inflation 226
5. Alternatives to inflation 233
6. Remarks on AdS/CFT and dS/CFT 234
Course 6. Spontaneous Breaking of Space-Time Symmetries 246
1. Introduction 250
2. Spontaneous breaking of space symmetries 250
3. Spontaneous breaking of time translational invariance and of supersymmetry 268
4. Spontaneous breaking of conformal invariance 275
5. O(N) vector models in d=3: Spontaneous breaking of scale invariance and the vacuum energy 277
Course 7. The Standard Model from D-Branes in String Theory 286
1. Introduction 290
2. Overview of D-branes 291
3. Intersecting D6-branes 296
4. Compact four-dimensional models 300
5. Orientifold models 308
6. Getting just the standard model 317
7. Supersymmetric models 320
Appendix A. Spectrum of open strings 323
Course 8. Non-Renormalisation Theorems in Superstring and Supergravity Theories 330
1. Introduction 334
2. Ultra-violet divergences … 335
3. Critical dimension for (logarithmic) ultra-violet divergences 340
4. Higher loop amplitudes in supergravity theories 344
5. Duality constraints 352
6. The contributions from the one-loop amplitude 357
7. The contributions from the two-loop amplitude 362
8. Non-renormalisation theorems 368
Appendix A. The string S-matrix 371
Course 9. Preparing the LHC Experiments for First Data 382
1. Introduction 386
2. Machine status 386
3. The main experimental challenges 387
4. ATLAS and CMS 389
5. Physics goals and physics potential 392
6. Conclusions 397
References 397
Course 10. String Theory, Gravity and Experiment 400
1. Introduction 404
2. Classical black holes as dissipative branes 405
3. Experimental tests of gravity 434
4. String-inspired phenomenology of the gravitational sector 453
5. String-related signals in cosmology 463
6. Conclusion 474
Bibliography 474
Course 11. Aspects of Hagedorn Holography 478
1. Preamble 482
2. Introduction 482
3. The density of states of weakly coupled strings 484
4. AdS as a finite-volume regulator 489
5. Little Hagedorn holography 494
6. Hagedorn holography deconstructed 502
7. Conclusion 507
References 507
Course 12. Lectures on Constructing String Vacua 512
1. Introduction 516
2. Basics of string vacua 519
3. F-theory and type IIB orientifold compactifications 531
4. Type IIB/F-theory flux vacua 558
5. A geometrical toolkit 587
6. Statistics of flux vacua 608
7. Explicit realizations of moduli stabilization scenarios 628
Course 13. Gauge–String Dualities and Some Applications 640
1. Introduction 644
2. Strings and QCD 645
3. The geometry of Dirichlet branes 647
4. The AdS/CFT correspondence 650
5. Semiclassical spinning strings vs. highly charged operators 652
6. Thermal gauge theory from near-extremal D3-branes 656
7. Warped conifold and its resolution 659
8. Deformation of the conifold 666
9. Normal modes of the warped throat 669
10. The baryonic branch 674
11. Cosmology in the throat 679
12. Summary 683
References 683