SPS Journal Club: ‘Exotic Branes and Symmetries of String Theory’
January 15 | 12:00 - 13:00
Speaker: Andriana Makridou (IFT)
Venue & Time: Red Room / 12:00
Abstract: Are duality transformations symmetries of string theory? For AdS space-time the answer is
no for generic asymptotic values of the moduli, since the duality symmetry is broken explicitly
in the dual conformal field theory. In contrast, in string theory in flat space-time, monodromy
around codimension two exotic branes show that duality transformations are spontaneously
broken discrete gauge symmetries with observable consequences, provided macroscopic loops
of these branes are not hidden behind an event horizon. We discuss how this can be achieved
and how the situation in flat space-time differs from that in AdS space-time. We also discuss
observability of codimension two non-BPS branes and codimension one BPS and non-BPS
branes. Based on [2512.19068].