2008/06/30 by Matthias Blau, Martin O'Loughlin, Martin O’Loughlin · 2 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Computer science #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dilaton #Geometry #Gravitational singularity #Homogeneous #Homogeneous space #Mathematical analysis #Mathematics #Matrix (chemical analysis) #Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories #Physics #Plane (geometry) #Plane wave #Quantum mechanics #Space (punctuation) #Statistical physics #String (physics) #Theoretical physics #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/1126-6708/2008/09/097
published as JHEP 0809:097,2008 · 29 pages, v2: reference added + minor cosmetic corrections
arxiv created 2008/08/25 · openalex publication_date 2008/09/22 · arxiv updated 2011/06/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We study the generalisations of the Craps-Sethi-Verlinde matrix big bang model to curved, in particular plane wave, space-times, beginning with a careful discussion of the DLCQ procedure. Singular homogeneous plane waves are ideal toy-models of realistic space-time singularities since they have been shown to arise universally as their Penrose limits, and we emphasise the role played by the symmetries of these plane waves in implementing the flat space Seiberg-Sen DLCQ prescription for these curved backgrounds. We then analyse various aspects of the resulting matrix string Yang-Mills theories, such as the relation between strong coupling space-time singularities and world-sheet tachyonic mass terms. In order to have concrete examples at hand, in an appendix we determine and analyse the IIA singular homogeneous plane wave - null dilaton backgrounds.