M-theory through the looking glass: Tachyon condensation in the E8 heterotic string

Journal Article · Thu Sep 20 04:00:00 EDT 2007 · Physical Review D

OSTI ID:934695

Horava, Petr; Horava, Petr; Keeler, Cynthia A

We study the spacetime decay to nothing in string theory and M-theory. First we recall a nonsupersymmetric version of heterotic M-theory, in which bubbles of nothing -- connecting the two E_8 boundaries by a throat -- are expected to be nucleated. We argue that the fate of this system should be addressed at weak string coupling, where the nonperturbative instanton instability is expected to turn into a perturbative tachyonic one. We identify the unique string theory that could describe this process: The heterotic model with one E_8 gauge group and a singlet tachyon. We then use worldsheet methods to study the tachyon condensation in the NSR formulation of this model, and show that it induces a worldsheet super-Higgs effect. The main theme of our analysis is the possibility of making meaningful alternative gauge choices for worldsheet supersymmetry, in place of the conventional superconformal gauge. We show in a version of unitary gauge how the worldsheet gravitino assimilates the goldstino and becomes dynamical. This picture clarifies recent results of Hellerman and Swanson. We also present analogs of R_\xi gauges, and note the importance of logarithmic CFT in the context of tachyon condensation.

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: Physics Division
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 934695
• Report Number(s): LBNL-403E
• Journal Information: Physical Review D, Journal Name: Physical Review D Vol. 77
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
BUBBLES
DECAY
GLASS
INSTABILITY
INSTANTONS
SPACE-TIME
SUPERSYMMETRY
TACHYONS