Hagedorn Transition and Chronology Protection in String Theory
Abstract
We conjecture that chronology is protected in string theory due to the condensation of light winding strings near closed null curves. This condensation triggers a Hagedorn phase transition, whose end-point target space geometry should be chronological. Contrary to conventional arguments, chronology is protected by an infrared effect. We support this conjecture by studying strings in a particular Lorentzian orbifold of Minkowski spacetime, where we show that some winding string states are unstable and condense in the non-causal region of spacetime. The one loop partition function has infrared divergences associated to the condensation of these states.
- Publication:
-
The Eleventh Marcel Grossmann Meeting On Recent Developments in Theoretical and Experimental General Relativity, Gravitation and Relativistic Field Theories
- Pub Date:
- September 2008
- DOI:
- 10.1142/9789812834300_0543
- Bibcode:
- 2008mgm..conf.2887H