D-brane primer

Following is a collection of lecture notes on D-branes, which may be used by the reader as preparation for applications to modern research applications such as: the AdS/CFT and other gauge theory/geometry correspondences, Matrix Theory and stringy non-commutative geometry, etc. In attempting to be reasonably self-contained, the notes start from classical point-particles and develop the subject logically (but selectively) through classical strings, quantisation, D-branes, supergravity, superstrings, string duality, including many detailed applications. Selected focus topics feature D-branes as probes of both spacetime and gauge geometry, highlighting the role of world-volume curvature and gauge couplings, with some non-Abelian cases. Other advanced topics which are discussed are the (presently) novel tools of research such as fractional branes, the enhancon mechanism, D(ielectric)-branes and the emergence of the fuzzy/non-commutative sphere.

Note:

This is an expanded writeup of lectures given at ICTP, TASI, and BUSSTEPP •
222 pages; numerous figures and inserts; LaTeX, sprocl.sty, psfig.sty. This is an expanded writeup of lectures given at ICTP, TASI, and BUSSTEPP (v3: refs, comments and footnote added. small typos corrected. See main text pages: 81, 82, 101, 112, 145, 198, 199, 201 and 203.)

inspirereview:I-f-4
lectures
membrane model: D-brane
membrane model: p-brane
string model
particle: relativistic
partition function
space-time
supersymmetry
duality

References(420)

Figures(49)

[1]

String Theory

J. Polchinski

[1]

Cambridge Univ. Pr. (1998) (UK) (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics)

[2]

Introduction to superstring theory

Elias Kiritsis
(
- CERN
)

e-Print:
- hep-th/9709062

[3]

Notes on D-branes

e-Print:
- hep-th/9602052

[4]

Tasi lectures on D-branes

Joseph Polchinski
(
- Santa Barbara, KITP
)

•
e-Print:
- hep-th/9611050

[5]

Superstring Theory

M.B. Green
,
J.H. Schwarz
,
E. Witten

[5]

Cambridge Univ. Pr. (1987) (UK) (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics)

[6]

New Connections Between String Theories

- Mod.Phys.Lett.A 4 (1989) 2073-2083
•
DOI:
- 10.1142/S0217732389002331

[7]

Making the Massless String Massive

Alan Chodos
(
- MIT, LNS
)
,
Charles B. Thorn
(
- MIT, LNS
)

- Nucl.Phys.B 72 (1974) 509-522
•
DOI:
- 10.1016/0550-3213(74)90159-X

[7]

Strings with Dimension-Dependent Intercept

Warren Siegel
(
- LBL, Berkeley
)

- Nucl.Phys.B 109 (1976) 244-254
•
DOI:
- 10.1016/0550-3213(76)90204-2

[7]

Bosonic String Theories With New Boundary Conditions

S.M. Roy
(
- Tata Inst.
)
,
Virendra Singh
(
- Tata Inst.
)

- Pramana 26 (1986) L85
•
DOI:
- 10.1007/BF02847571

[7]

The Quasiopen String

S.M. Roy
(
- Tata Inst.
)
,
Virendra Singh
(
- Tata Inst.
)

- Phys.Rev.D 35 (1987) 1939
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevD.35.1939

[7]

OPEN STRINGS ON ORBIFOLDS

Jeffrey A. Harvey
(
- Princeton U.
)
,
Joseph A. Minahan
(
- Princeton U.
)

- Phys.Lett.B 188 (1987) 44
•
DOI:
- 10.1016/0370-2693(87)90703-9

[8]

OPEN STRING MODEL BUILDING

Nobuyuki Ishibashi
(
- Tokyo U.
)
,
Tetsuya Onogi
(
- Tokyo U., Komaba
)

- Nucl.Phys.B 318 (1989) 239-280
•
DOI:
- 10.1016/0550-3213(89)90054-0

[8]

Open String Orbifolds

Gianfranco Pradisi
(
- Rome U., Tor Vergata and
- INFN, Rome
)
,
Augusto Sagnotti
(
- Rome U., Tor Vergata and
- INFN, Rome
)

- Phys.Lett.B 216 (1989) 59-67
•
DOI:
- 10.1016/0370-2693(89)91369-5

[8]

Closed Strings and Their Open String Descendants

Augusto Sagnotti
(
- Rome U., Tor Vergata and
- INFN, Rome
)

- Phys.Rept. 184 (1989) 167-175,
- Phys. Rep. 184 (1989) 167-175 and Rome II Univ. - ROM2F-88-045 (88,rec.Apr.89) 16 p
•
DOI:
- 10.1016/0370-1573(89)90036-7