Spacelike branes
Abstract
Scalar field theories with appropriate potentials in Minkowski space can have time-dependent classical solutions containing topological defects which correspond to S-branes --- i.e. branes all of whose tangential dimensions are spacelike. It is argued that such S-branes arise in string theory as time-dependent solutions of the worldvolume tachyon field of an unstable D-brane or D-brane-anti-D-brane pair. Using the known coupling of the spacetime RR fields to the worldvolume tachyon it is shown that these S-branes carry a charge, defined as the integral of a RR field strength over a sphere (containing a time as well as spatial dimensions) surrounding the S-brane. This same charge is carried by SD-branes, i.e. Dirichlet branes arising from open string worldsheet conformal field theories with a Dirichlet boundary condition on the timelike dimension. The corresponding SD-brane boundary state is constructed. Supergravity solutions carrying the same charges are also found for a few cases.
- Publication:
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Journal of High Energy Physics
- Pub Date:
- April 2002
- DOI:
- 10.1088/1126-6708/2002/04/018
- arXiv:
- arXiv:hep-th/0202210
- Bibcode:
- 2002JHEP...04..018G
- Keywords:
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- High Energy Physics - Theory
- E-Print:
- 23 pages, harvmac(b), no figures, v2 references added and minor changes, v4: more references added