Closed Strings Tachyons and Non-Commutative Instabilities

TL;DR

This paper explores the connection between closed string tachyons and one-loop instabilities in non-commutative gauge theories, revealing a surprising correspondence and suggesting that non-commutative theories encode information about string dynamics.

Contribution

It uncovers a direct link between closed string tachyons and gauge theory instabilities, and proposes that non-commutative field theories reflect underlying string dynamics.

Findings

Correlation between closed string tachyons and gauge theory instabilities

Effective action indicates exchange of closed string modes

Comments on relation between string and field theory tachyon condensation

Abstract

We observe a relation between closed strings tachyons and one-loop instabilities in non-supersymmetric non-commutative gauge theories. In particular we analyze the spectra of type IIB string theory on C^3/Z_N orbifold singularities and the non-commutative field theory that lives on D3 branes located at the singularity. We find a surprising correspondence between the existence or not of one-loop low-momentum instabilities in the non-commutative field theory and the existence or not of tachyons in the closed string twisted sectors. Moreover, the relevant piece of the non-commutative field theory effective action is suggestive of an exchange of closed string modes. This suggests that non-commutative field theories retain some information about the dynamics of the underlying string configuration. Finally, we also comment on a possible relation between closed string tachyon condensation and field theory tachyon condensation.