Geometry of open strings ending on backreacting D3-branes

TL;DR

This paper explores the geometry of open strings ending on backreacting D3-branes using supergravity solutions, revealing key features like D3-brane spikes, string polarization, and effects on low-energy gravity, with implications for string theory tests.

Contribution

It provides a detailed spacetime analysis of open strings on backreacting D3-branes, capturing non-trivial phenomena and their impact on low-energy gravity.

Findings

Identification of D3-brane spikes in supergravity solutions

Demonstration of fundamental string polarization into D5-branes

Analysis of gravitational potential between open strings

Abstract

We investigate open string theory on backreacting D3-branes using a spacetime approach. We study in detail the half-BPS supergravity solutions describing open strings ending on D3-branes, in the near horizon of the D3-branes. We recover quantitatively several non-trivial features of open string physics including the appearance of D3-brane spikes, the polarization of fundamental strings into D5-branes, and the Hanany-Witten effect. Finally we detail the computation of the gravitational potential between two open strings, and contrast it with the holographic computation of Wilson lines. We argue that the D-brane backreaction has a large influence on the low-energy gravity, which may lead to experimental tests for string theory brane-world scenarios.