Localized Tachyons and the g_cl conjecture

TL;DR

This paper investigates the behavior of localized tachyons in certain string theory orbifolds, demonstrating that a specific quantity, g_cl, decreases monotonically along RG flows, supporting a conjecture about the irreversibility of these flows.

Contribution

The paper extends the g_cl conjecture to heterotic string orbifolds and confirms its monotonic decrease during RG flows, with explicit calculations showing gauge degrees of freedom do not affect g_cl.

Findings

g_cl decreases monotonically along RG flows

Gauge degrees of freedom do not contribute to g_cl in heterotic theories

Supports the g_cl conjecture in new orbifold contexts

Abstract

We consider C/Z_N and C^2/Z_N orbifolds of heterotic string theories and Z_N orbifolds of AdS_3. We study theories with N=2 worldsheet superconformal invariance and construct RG flows. Following Harvey, Kutasov, Martinec and Moore, we compute g_cl and show that it decreases monotonically along RG flows- as conjectured by them. For the heterotic string theories, the gauge degrees of freedom do not contribute to the computation of g_cl.