D-Brane Primer

TL;DR

This paper provides comprehensive lecture notes on D-branes, covering classical to advanced topics, including applications in gauge theories, string dualities, and non-commutative geometry, serving as a foundational resource for modern string theory research.

Contribution

It offers a detailed, self-contained overview of D-branes, integrating classical, quantum, and advanced topics with emphasis on their applications in contemporary theoretical physics.

Findings

Explains D-branes as probes of spacetime and gauge geometry.

Discusses non-Abelian D-branes and world-volume curvature effects.

Introduces fractional branes, the enhancon mechanism, and fuzzy sphere emergence.

Abstract

Following is a collection of lecture notes on D-branes, which may be used by the reader as preparation for applications to modern research applications such as: the AdS/CFT and other gauge theory/geometry correspondences, Matrix Theory and stringy non-commutative geometry, etc. In attempting to be reasonably self-contained, the notes start from classical point-particles and develop the subject logically (but selectively) through classical strings, quantisation, D-branes, supergravity, superstrings, string duality, including many detailed applications. Selected focus topics feature D-branes as probes of both spacetime and gauge geometry, highlighting the role of world-volume curvature and gauge couplings, with some non-Abelian cases. Other advanced topics which are discussed are the (presently) novel tools of research such as fractional branes, the enhancon mechanism, D(ielectric)-branes and the emergence of the fuzzy/non-commutative sphere.