In the following thesis, I will conduct a thermodynamic analysis of the Taub-NUT spacetime in various dimensions, as well as show uses for Taub-NUT and other Hyper-Kahler spacetimes. <br /><br /> Thermodynamic analysis (by which I mean the calculation of the entropy and other thermodynamic quantities, and the analysis of these quantities) has in the past been done by use of background subtraction. The recent derivation of the (A)dS/CFT correspondences from String theory has allowed for easier and quicker analysis. I will use Taub-NUT space as a template to test these correspondences against the standard thermodynamic calculations (via the N&ouml;ether method), with (in the Taub-NUT-dS case especially) some very interesting results. <br /><br /> There is also interest in obtaining metrics in eleven dimensions that can be reduced down to ten dimensional string theory metrics. Taub-NUT and other Hyper-Kahler metrics already possess the form to easily facilitate the Kaluza-Klein reduction, and embedding such metrics into eleven dimensional metrics containing M2 or M5 branes produces metrics with interesting Dp-brane results.

In the first part of this thesis, we study the duality of Wilson loops and M2-branes in AdS₄/CFT₃. We focus on supersymmetric M-theory solutions on AdS₄xY₇ that have a superconformal dual description on S³ = ?AdS⁴. We will find that the Hamiltonian function h_M for the M-theory circle plays an important role in the duality. We show that an M2-brane wrapping the M-theory circle is supersymmetric precisely at the critical points of h_M, and moreover the value of this function at those points determines the M2-brane actions. Such a configuration determines the holographic dual of a Wilson loop for a Hopf circle in S³. We find agreement in large classes of examples between the Wilson loop and its dual M2-brane and also that the image h_M(Y₇) determines the range of support of the eigenvalues in the dual large N matrix model, with the critical points of h_M mapping to points where the derivative of the eigenvalue density is discontinuous. We will then move away from the three-sphere and construct gravity duals to a broad class of N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories defined on a general class of three-manifold geometries. The gravity backgrounds are based on Euclidean self-dual solutions to four-dimensional gauged supergravity. As well as constructing new examples, we prove in general that for solutions defined on the four-ball the gravitational free energy depends only on the supersymmetric Killing vector. Our result agrees with the large N limit of the free energy of the dual gauge theory, computed using localisation. This constitutes an exact check of the gauge/gravity correspondence for a very broad class of gauge theories defined on a general class of background three-manifold geometries. To further verify that our gravitational backgrounds are indeed dual to field theories on their boundaries, we compute Wilson loops and their M2-brane duals in this general setting. We find that the Wilson loop is given by a simple closed formula which depends on the background geometry only through the supersymmetric Killing vector field. The supergravity dual M2-brane precisely reproduces this large N field theory result. This constitutes a further check of AdS₄/CFT₃ for a very broad class of examples.

Este é um trabalho de revisão. Os principais formalismos no desenvolvimento da teoria de cordas são introduzidos e discutidos: a corda bosônica e as supercordas no formalismo de Ramond-Neveu-Schwarz e no formalismo de Green-Schwarz. São introduzidas também as açôes efetivas no limite de baixas energias das D-branas (ação DBI) e das teorias de supergravidade (D=10,11). Por fim, são analisados alguns aspectos da correspondência AdS/CFT, enunciando a conjectura e introduzindo algumas das entradas do dicionário. Os apêndices contêm tópicos de grande relevância para o texto e podem ajudar a esclarecer vários raciocínios e passagens ao longo do mesmo. / This is a review work. The main formalisms on the development of string theory are introduced and discussed: the bosonic string and the superstrings formalisms of Ramond-Never-Schwarz and Green-Schwarz. The effective actions in the low energy limit of the D-branes (DBI action) and supergravity theories (D=10,11) are introduced as well. Finally, some aspects of the AdS/CFT correspondence are analised, enunciating the conjecture and introducing some entries of the dictionary. The appendices contains some topics that are highly relevant for the whole text and may help clarify several ideas and arguments through it.

Cette thèse se consacre à l'étude de la théorie des cordes en utilisant les outils des théories conformes bidimensionnelles. Dans la première partie, une famille de solutions non-compactes et courbes est etudiées : les modèles de Gepner non-compacts. Dans la deuxième partie, on se concentre sur des problèmes liés à la quantification de la corde en présence de flux RR.

Cette these est consacree a l'etude des theories de supercordes dans les espaces-temps courbes. Nous etudions en particulier l'espace des modules des solutions de NS5-branes et de cordes fondamentales, a l'aide des techniques de deformations marginales de theories conformes. Parmi les exemples etudies se trouvent les espaces-temps anti-de Sitter a trois ou deux dimensions, differentes limites de decouplage de la theorie des petites cordes et l'univers de Goedel. Nous etudions egalement les fonctions de partitions de ces theories conformes, ainsi que les D-branes de certaines d'entre elles. Les applications holographiques potentielles de ces theories sont soulignees.

<p>The appearance in string theory of higher-dimensional objects known as D-branes has been a source of much of the interesting developements in the subject during the past ten years. A very interesting phenomenon occurs when several of these D-branes are made to coincide: The abelian gauge theory living on each brane is enhanced to a non-abelian gauge theory living on the stack of coincident branes. This gives rise to interesting effects like the natural appearance of non-commutative geometry. The theory governing the dynamics of these coincident branes is still poorly understood however and only hints of the underlying structure have been seen.</p><p>This thesis focuses on an attempt to better this understanding by writing down actions for coincident branes using so-called boundary fermions, originating in considerations of open strings, instead of matrices to describe the non-abelian fields. It is shown that by gauge-fixing and by suitably quantizing these boundary fermions the non-abelian action that is known, the Myers action, can be reproduced. Furthermore it is shown that under natural assumptions, unlike the Myers action, the action formulated using boundary fermions also posseses kappa-symmetry, the criterion for being the correct supersymmetric action for coincident D-branes.</p><p>Another aspect of string theory discussed in this thesis is that of tensionless strings. These are of great interest for example because of their possible relation to higher spin gauge theories via the AdS/CFT-correspondence. The tensionless superstring in a plane wave background, arising as a particular limit of the near-horizon geometry of a stack of D3-branes, is considered and compared to the tensile case.</p>

<p>The main topic of this doctoral thesis is D-branes in string theory, expressed in the language of conformal field theory. The purpose of string theory is to describe the elementary particles and the fundamental interactions of nature, including gravitation as a quantum theory. String theory has not yet reached the status to make falsifiable predictions, thus it is not certain that string theory has any direct relevance to physics. On the other hand, string theory related research has led to progress in mathematics.</p><p>We begin with a short introduction to conformal field theory and some of its applications to string theory. We also introduce vertex algebras and discuss their relevance to conformal field theory. Some classes of conformal field theories are introduced, and we discuss the relevant vertex algebras, as well as their interpretation in terms of string theory.</p><p>In string theory, a D-brane specifies where the endpoint of the string lives. Many aspects of string theory can be described in terms of a conformal field theory, which is a field theory that lives on a two-dimensional space. The conformal field theory counterpart of a D-brane is a boundary state, which in some cases has a natural interpretation as constraining the string end point. The main focus of this thesis is on the interpretation of boundary states in terms of D-branes in curved target spaces.</p>

Orbits of charged particles under the effect of a magnetic field are mathematically described by magnetic geodesics. They appear as solutions to a system of (nonlinear) ordinary differential equations of second order. But we are only interested in periodic solutions. To this end, we study the corresponding system of (nonlinear) parabolic equations for closed magnetic geodesics and, as a main result, eventually prove the existence of long time solutions. As generalization one can consider a system of elliptic nonlinear partial differential equations whose solutions describe the orbits of closed p-branes under the effect of a "generalized physical force". For the corresponding evolution equation, which is a system of parabolic nonlinear partial differential equations associated to the elliptic PDE, we can establish existence of short time solutions. / Bahnen von geladenen Teilchen, die sich unter dem Einfluss eines Magnetfeldes bewegen, werden in der Mathematik durch magnetische Geodäten beschrieben. Sie ergeben sich als Lösungen eines Systems (nichtlinearer) gewöhnlicher Differentialgleichungen zweiter Ordnung. Wir interessieren uns ausschließich für periodische Lösungen. Dazu studieren wir das zugehörige System (nichtlinearer) parabolischer Differentialgleichungen für geschlossene magnetische Geodäten. Als Hauptresultat beweisen wir die Existenz von Langzeitlösungen. Verallgemeinernd betrachten wir noch ein System von elliptischen nichtlinearen partiellen Differentialgleichungen, dessen Lösungen die Orbiten von geschlossenen p-Branen unter dem Einfluss einer verallgemeinerten physikalischen Kraft beschreiben. Für die entsprechende Evolutionsgleichung, welche ein System von parabolischen nichtlinearen partiellen Differentialgleichungen ist, das dem elliptischen Problem zugeordnet ist, können wir die Existenz von Kurzzeitlösungen beweisen.

The appearance in string theory of higher-dimensional objects known as D-branes has been a source of much of the interesting developements in the subject during the past ten years. A very interesting phenomenon occurs when several of these D-branes are made to coincide: The abelian gauge theory living on each brane is enhanced to a non-abelian gauge theory living on the stack of coincident branes. This gives rise to interesting effects like the natural appearance of non-commutative geometry. The theory governing the dynamics of these coincident branes is still poorly understood however and only hints of the underlying structure have been seen. This thesis focuses on an attempt to better this understanding by writing down actions for coincident branes using so-called boundary fermions, originating in considerations of open strings, instead of matrices to describe the non-abelian fields. It is shown that by gauge-fixing and by suitably quantizing these boundary fermions the non-abelian action that is known, the Myers action, can be reproduced. Furthermore it is shown that under natural assumptions, unlike the Myers action, the action formulated using boundary fermions also posseses kappa-symmetry, the criterion for being the correct supersymmetric action for coincident D-branes. Another aspect of string theory discussed in this thesis is that of tensionless strings. These are of great interest for example because of their possible relation to higher spin gauge theories via the AdS/CFT-correspondence. The tensionless superstring in a plane wave background, arising as a particular limit of the near-horizon geometry of a stack of D3-branes, is considered and compared to the tensile case.

The main topic of this doctoral thesis is D-branes in string theory, expressed in the language of conformal field theory. The purpose of string theory is to describe the elementary particles and the fundamental interactions of nature, including gravitation as a quantum theory. String theory has not yet reached the status to make falsifiable predictions, thus it is not certain that string theory has any direct relevance to physics. On the other hand, string theory related research has led to progress in mathematics. We begin with a short introduction to conformal field theory and some of its applications to string theory. We also introduce vertex algebras and discuss their relevance to conformal field theory. Some classes of conformal field theories are introduced, and we discuss the relevant vertex algebras, as well as their interpretation in terms of string theory. In string theory, a D-brane specifies where the endpoint of the string lives. Many aspects of string theory can be described in terms of a conformal field theory, which is a field theory that lives on a two-dimensional space. The conformal field theory counterpart of a D-brane is a boundary state, which in some cases has a natural interpretation as constraining the string end point. The main focus of this thesis is on the interpretation of boundary states in terms of D-branes in curved target spaces.