1997/07/16 by Julie D. Blum, Keith R. Dienes · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #hep-ph #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/s0370-2693(97)01172-6
published as Phys.Lett.B414:260-268,1997 · 15 pages, LaTeX, 3 figures
arxiv created 1997/07/16 · openalex publication_date 1997/11/01 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We extend strong/weak coupling duality to string theories without spacetime supersymmetry, and focus on the case of the unique ten-dimensional, nonsupersymmetric, tachyon-free SO(16)× SO(16) heterotic string. We construct a tachyon-free heterotic string model that interpolates smoothly between this string and the ten-dimensional supersymmetric SO(32) heterotic string, and we construct a dual for this interpolating model. We find that the perturbative massless states of our dual theories precisely match within a certain range of the interpolation. Further evidence for this proposed duality comes from a calculation of the one-loop cosmological constant in both theories, as well as the presence of a soliton in the dual theory. This is therefore the first known duality relation between nonsupersymmetric tachyon-free string theories. Using this duality, we then investigate the perturbative and nonperturbative stability of the SO(16)× SO(16) string, and present a conjecture concerning its ultimate fate.