Regge behavior saves string theory from causality violations

• Abstract: Higher-derivative corrections to the Einstein-Hilbert action are present in bosonic string theory leading to the potential causality violations recently pointed out by Camanho et al. [1]. We analyze in detail this question by considering high-energy string-brane collisions at impact parameters b ≤ ls (the string-length parameter) with ls ≫ Rp (the characteristic scale of the Dp-brane geometry). If we keep only the contribution of the massless states causality is violated for a set of initial states whose polarization is suitably chosen with respect to the impact parameter vector. Such violations are instead neatly avoided when the full structure of string theory — and in particular its Regge behavior — is taken into account.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Bosonic Strings

D-branes

Models of Quantum Gravity

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)