D-sphalerons and the topology of string configuration space

Authors
Harvey, JA Horava, P Kraus, P
Citation
Ja. Harvey et al., D-sphalerons and the topology of string configuration space, J HIGH EN P, (3), 2000, pp. NIL_449-NIL_474
Citations number
43
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
JOURNAL OF HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS
ISSN journal
10298479 → ACNP
Issue
3
Year of publication
2000
Pages
NIL_449 - NIL_474
Database
ISI
SICI code
1029-8479(200003):3<NIL_449:DATTOS>2.0.ZU;2-H
Abstract
We show that unstable D-branes play the role of "D-sphalerons" in string th eory. Their existence implies that the configuration space of type-II strin g theory has a complicated homotopy structure, similar to that of an infini te grassmannian. In particular, the configuration space of type-IIA (-IIB) string theory on R-10 has non-trivial homotopy groups pi(k) for all k even (odd).