Singularities and Closed String Tachyons

Abstract

A basic problem in gravitational physics is the resolution of spacetime singularities where general relativity breaks down. The simplest such singularities are conical singularities arising from orbifold identifications of flat space, and the most challenging are spacelike singularities inside black holes (and in cosmology). Topology changing processes also require evolution through classically singular spacetimes. I briefly review how a phase of closed string tachyon condensate replaces, and helps to resolve, basic singularities of each of these types. Finally I discuss some interesting features of singularities arising in the small volume limit of compact negatively curved spaces and the emerging zoology of spacelike singularities.

8 pages latex, based on comments at Solvay meeting

References in corpus (10)

• The AdS/CFT Correspondence and a New Positive Energy Conjecture for General Relativity
• Don't Panic! Closed String Tachyons in ALE Spacetimes
• A Matrix Big Bang
• The Annular Report on Non-Critical String Theory
• Things Fall Apart: Topology Change from Winding Tachyons
• The Inside Story: Quasilocal Tachyons and Black Holes
• Dimensional Mutation and Spacelike Singularities
• Minimal Supergravity with m_0^2 < 0
• Winding tachyons in asymptotically supersymmetric black strings
• The nature of gravitational singularities

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Quantum evolution of black hole initial data sets: Foundations
• Winding tachyons in BTZ
• The Fixed Points of RG Flow with a Tachyon
• De Sitter Quantum Mechanics and Inflationary Matrix Cosmology of Self-tuned Universe
• A Soliton and a Black Hole are in Gauss-Bonnet gravity. Who wins?
• A correspondence between strings in the Hagedorn phase and asymptotically de Sitter space