March 29, 1996
We derive fully covariant expressions for all two-point scattering amplitudes of two massless closed strings from a Dirichlet $p$-brane. This construction relies on the observation that there is a simple relation between these D-brane amplitudes in type II superstring theory and four-point scattering amplitudes for type I open superstrings. From the two-point amplitudes, we derive the long range background fields for the D-branes, and verify that as expected they correspond t...
May 17, 2005
We explore a particular approach to study D-brane boundary states in Berkovits' pure spinor formalism of superstring theories. In this approach one constructs the boundary states in the relevant conformal field theory by relaxing the pure spinor constraints. This enables us to write down the open string boundary conditions for non-BPS D-branes in type II string theories, generalizing our previous work in light-cone Green-Schwarz formalism. As a first step to explore how to ap...
December 22, 2001
We construct new D-brane bound states using charged macroscopic type IIB string solutions.A generic bound state solution, when dimensionally reduced, carries multiple gauge charges. Starting with D=9 charged macroscopic strings, we obtain solutions in D=10, which are interpreted as carrying (F, D0, D2) charges as well as nonzero momenta. The masses and charges are also explicitly shown to satisfy the non-threshold bound of 1/2 BPS objects. Our solutions reduce to the known D-...
March 1, 2019
We present exact expressions for elementary boundary states which describe D-branes preserving 16 or fewer supercharges in type II superstring compactified on certain self-dual 4-tori. While being manifestly superconformal, our boundary states are not a priori required to satisfy the usual free-field gluing conditions along the internal directions of the 4-tori. Our calculations proceed along the lines of Gepner's construction by recasting the $\mathcal{N}=(2,2)$ worldsheet s...
December 19, 2000
We review the boundary state description of D-branes in type I string theory and show that the only stable non-BPS configurations are the D-particle and the D-instanton. We also compute the gauge and gravitational interactions of the non-BPS D-particles and compare them with the interactions of the dual non-BPS states of the heterotic string, finding complete agreement.
December 17, 2002
We examine the fluctuations around a Dp-brane solution in an unstable D-brane system using boundary states and also boundary string field theory. We show that the fluctuations correctly reproduce the fields on the Dp-brane. Plugging these into the action of the unstable D-brane system, we recover not only the tension and RR charge, but also full effective action of the Dp-brane exactly. Our method works for general unstable D-brane systems and provides a simple proof of D-bra...
October 31, 1995
Spectrum of elementary string states in type II string theory contains ultra-short multiplets that are marginally stable. $U$-duality transformation converts these states into bound states at threshold of $p$-branes carrying Ramond-Ramond charges, and wrapped around $p$-cycles of a torus. We propose a test for the existence of these marginally stable bound states. Using the recent results of Polchinski and of Witten, we argue that the spectrum of bound states of $p$-branes is...
September 26, 2006
In this talk we are going to review a method to construct the thermal boundary states of the thermal string in the TFD approach. The class of thermal boundary states presented here is derived from the BPS D-branes of the type II GS superstrings.
November 30, 2023
This is an introduction to the non-perturbative excitations of string theory known as D-branes. Topics covered include their definition and main properties, their role in dualities and their dynamics. Based on lectures given at LACES 2019, and at the Amsterdam-Brussels-Geneva-Paris Doctoral School.
April 1, 1997
We study bound states of D-p-branes and D-(p+2)-branes. By switching on a large magnetic field F on the (p+2) brane, the problem is shown to admit a perturbative analysis in an expansion in inverse powers of F. It is found that, to the leading order in 1/F, the quartic potential of the tachyonic state from the open string stretched between the p- and (p+2)-brane gives a vacuum energy which agrees with the prediction of the BPS mass formula for the bound state. We generalize t...