Open-Closed Duality: Lessons from Matrix Model

TL;DR

This paper explores the open-closed duality in string theory, proposing a conjecture involving quantum open string field theory that explains how open string dynamics encode closed string states, supported by two-dimensional string theory results.

Contribution

It introduces a specific conjecture linking open string field theory to closed string states, providing a new theoretical perspective on open-closed duality.

Findings

Open string theory encodes closed string states in decay processes.

The conjecture is validated by exact results in two-dimensional string theory.

Abstract

Recent investigations involving the decay of unstable D-branes in string theory suggest that the tree level open string theory which describes the dynamics of the D-brane already knows about the closed string states produced in the decay of the brane. We propose a specific conjecture involving quantum open string field theory to explain this classical result, and show that the recent results in two dimensional string theory are in exact accordance with this conjecture.