Topologically Massive Gravity from the Heterotic String

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how topologically massive gravity (TMG) in three dimensions can be embedded into heterotic string theory through a specific compactification, enabling a string-theoretic interpretation of its solutions and related quantities.

Contribution

It shows the embedding of TMG into heterotic string theory via compactification on S^3×T^4, linking TMG solutions to string and brane interpretations.

Findings

All TMG solutions can be lifted to ten dimensions.

Provides a string and brane interpretation for boundary conformal field theory quantities.

Connects TMG black hole entropy to string theory concepts.

Abstract

Topologically massive gravity (TMG) in three dimensions provides an interesting toy model for constructing a quantum theory of gravity. Although it can be thought of as standing as a theory in its own right, it is also of interest to see whether it can be described within the larger framework of string theory or M-theory. In this paper, we show that it can be embedded within the heterotic string, via a compactification on $S^3\times T^4$. Since all solutions of TMG can now be lifted to ten dimensions, this allows us to give a string and brane interpretation to quantities such as the central charges in the conformal field theory on the boundary of TMG, and the entropy of the BTZ black hole solution.