Orientifolds, RR torsion, and K theory

Mar, 2001
30 pages
Published in:
  • JHEP 05 (2001) 047
e-Print:
Report number:
  • CALT-68-2321,
  • CITUSC-01-007

Citations per year

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Abstract:
We analyze the role of RR fluxes in orientifold backgrounds from the point of view of K-theory, and demonstrate some physical implications of describing these fluxes in K-theory rather than cohomology. In particular, we show that certain fractional shifts in RR charge quantization due to discrete RR fluxes are naturally explained in K-theory. We also show that some orientifold backgrounds, which are considered distinct in the cohomology classification, become equivalent in the K-theory description, while others become unphysical.
  • string model
  • orientifold
  • K-theory
  • cohomology: torsion
  • flux: discrete
  • charge: quantization
  • membrane model: D-brane
  • anomaly