2002/02/28 by Michael Gutperle, Andrew Strominger · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/1126-6708/2002/04/018
published as JHEP 0204:018,2002 · 23 pages, harvmac(b), no figures, v2 references added and minor changes, v4: more references added
arxiv created 2002/07/11 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30
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.