Intersecting non-SUSY branes and closed string tachyon condensation

TL;DR

This paper explores how non-supersymmetric brane solutions in string theory can transition into bubble states, with a focus on the role of closed string tachyon condensation in these processes, especially for p ≤ 4.

Contribution

It demonstrates a connection between non-SUSY brane solutions and bubble transitions, proposing closed string tachyon condensation as a mechanism for these transitions for p ≤ 4.

Findings

Interpolate between black p-branes and KK bubbles via supergravity solutions.

Stable static bubbles exist for p ≤ 4, enabling transitions from black branes.

Closed string tachyon condensation can drive these transitions under certain conditions.

Abstract

Following \cite{Bai:2006vv} we here consider the supergravity solutions representing the charged non-supersymmetric $p$-brane (for $1\leq p \leq 6$) intersecting with chargeless non-supersymmetric 1-brane and 0-brane of type II string theories. We show how these solutions nicely interpolate between black $p$-branes and the Kaluza-Klein "bubble of nothing" (BON) by continuously varying some parameters characterizing the solutions from one set of values to another. By performing a time symmetric general bubble initial data analysis, we show that the interpolation implies a possible transition from black $p$-branes to KK BON only for $p\leq 4$, as in these cases there exist locally stable static bubbles under certain conditions. However, for $p>4$, black branes always decay into dynamical bubbles. Contrary to what is known in the literature, we argue that under certain conditions, the mechanism causing this transition to stable static bubbles can be the closed string tachyon condensation for all $p\leq 4$. We also show that the configurations indeed contain (chargeless) F-strings required for the closed string tachyons to appear causing the transitions to occur.