Mathematical Physics

A new tangential structure for type IIA string theoryConfirmed

by Matthew Yu (University of Oxford)

America/Toronto
PI/4-400 - Space Room (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics)

PI/4-400 - Space Room

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

48
Description

The Green-Schwarz anomaly cancellation condition says that the target space of heterotic string theory must come with a string structure for the theory to be consistent. In this talk we discuss a new tangential structure called string^h, first introduced by Devalapurkar, as a spin^c analogue of string. We will show that the spectrum of string^h has the notable property that it orients tmf_1(n), just like how the spectrum of string orients tmf, by the work of Ando-Hopkins-Rezk. Finally we will show that the anomaly of the partition function of type IIA, studied by Diaconescu-Moore-Witten induces a string^h structure on the target space of type IIA, in parallel to the Green-Schwarz anomaly for heterotic string theory, and discuss applications for anomaly cancellation. This is joint work in progress with Arun Debray.

Organised by

Ben Webster, Wenjun Niu