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String Theory Demystified

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CHAPTER 8 Compactifi cation and T-Duality 159<br />

T-duality is a symmetry which exists between different string theories. This<br />

symmetry relates small distances in one theory to large distances in another,<br />

seemingly different theory and shows that the two theories are in fact the same<br />

theory expressed from different viewpoints. This is an important recognition; before<br />

T-duality was discovered it was believed that there were fi ve different string<br />

theories, when in fact they were all different versions of the same theory that could<br />

be related to one another by transformations or dualities. One can transform between<br />

small and large distances when considering the compactifi ed dimension in one<br />

theory, and arrive at another dual theory. This is the essence of T-duality. We will<br />

see later that other dualities exist in string theory as well.<br />

T-duality relates type IIA and type IIB string theories, as well as the heterotic<br />

string theories. It applies to the type of compactifi cation that we have been studying<br />

in this chapter, namely the compactifi cation of a spatial dimension to a circle of<br />

radius R. The transformation that is used in T-duality is to transform the radius to a<br />

new large radius R ′ which is defi ned by the exchange<br />

′ ↔ ′ α<br />

R<br />

(8.29)<br />

R<br />

The T-duality transformation also exchanges winding states characterized by a<br />

winding number n with high-momentum states in the other theory (Kaluza-Klein<br />

excitations). That is,<br />

n↔ K<br />

(8.30)<br />

The symmetry of T-duality, described by these exchanges, makes its appearance in<br />

the mass formula [Eq. (8.27)], which we reproduce here:<br />

2 2<br />

⎛<br />

′ =<br />

⎞ ⎛<br />

+<br />

⎞<br />

⎝ ′ ⎠ ⎝ ⎠ α<br />

2 nR K<br />

m<br />

α R<br />

Now exchange R′ ↔ α ′ / R and n↔ K,<br />

then:<br />

We also have:<br />

K<br />

R<br />

+ 2( N + N ) −4<br />

R L<br />

n nR<br />

→<br />

′ ( R′<br />

) =<br />

′<br />

α α ′<br />

(8.31)<br />

( )<br />

nR K<br />

R<br />

′ →<br />

α ′<br />

′<br />

α α ′<br />

T-Duality for Closed <strong>String</strong>s<br />

K<br />

=<br />

R′<br />

(8.32)

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