Low tension strings on a cosmological singularity
Abstract
It has recently been argued that the singularity of the Milne orbifold can be resolved in higher spin theories. In string theory scattering amplitudes, however, the Milne singularity gives rise to ultraviolet divergences that signal uncontrolled backreaction. Since string theory in the low tension limit is expected to be a higher spin theory (although precise proposals only exist in special cases), we investigate what happens to these scattering amplitudes in the low tension limit. We point out that the known problematic ultraviolet divergences disappear in this limit. In addition we systematically identify all divergences of the simplest 2-to-2 tree-level string scattering amplitude on the Milne orbifold, and argue that the divergences that survive in the low tension limit have sensible infrared interpretations.
- Publication:
-
Journal of High Energy Physics
- Pub Date:
- August 2014
- DOI:
- 10.1007/JHEP08(2014)065
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1405.3935
- Bibcode:
- 2014JHEP...08..065C
- Keywords:
-
- Higher Spin Gravity;
- Scattering Amplitudes;
- Bosonic Strings;
- Spacetime Singularities;
- High Energy Physics - Theory
- E-Print:
- 17 pages, 3 figures. V2: Complete list of IR divergences, more refs, published version. Plus one minor correction