String theory at the tip of the cigar

TL;DR

This paper investigates string theory at the tip of the cigar geometry, revealing unexpected confined degrees of freedom and providing further evidence through exact worldsheet descriptions of near extremal NS5-branes.

Contribution

It offers new insights into the properties of string theory at the cigar tip, building on previous work with exact worldsheet models.

Findings

Confined degrees of freedom at the cigar tip

Evidence supporting unique string theory features

Enhanced understanding of NS5-brane geometries

Abstract

In arXiv:1208.3930 we argued that string theory at the tip of the cigar geometry, obtained by a Wick rotation of the Schwarzschild background, exhibits unexpected features that include degrees of freedom that are confined to the tip. Using the exact worldsheet description of near extremal NS5-branes we further study string theory at the tip of the cigar and find more evidence to its surprising properties.