Is string theory a theory of strings?

Abstract

Recently a great deal of evidence has been found indicating that type IIA string theory compactified on K3 is equivalent to heterotic string theory compactified on T^4. Under the transformation which relates the two theories, the roles of fundamental and solitonic string solutions are interchanged. In this letter we show that there exists a solitonic membrane solution of the heterotic string theory which becomes a singular solution of the type IIA theory, and should therefore be interpreted as a fundamental membrane in the latter theory. We speculate upon the implications that the complete type IIA theory is a theory of membranes, as well as strings.

11 pages. Uses harvmac.tex (A note and a reference added)

References in corpus (3)

• String Theory Dynamics In Various Dimensions
• A One-Loop Test Of String Duality
• String-Membrane Duality in Seven Dimensions

Cited by in corpus (13)

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• Entropy of 4D Extremal Black Holes
• On Domain-Wall/QFT Dualities in Various Dimensions
• Nonabelian Phenomena on D-branes
• Orientifolds, M-Theory, and the ABCD's of the Enhancon
• Static, non-SUSY $p$-branes in diverse dimensions
• Solitons, Black Holes and Duality in String Theory
• Geometry of T-duality
• Killings, Duality and Characteristic Polynomials
• Wrapped D-Branes as BPS Monopoles: The Moduli Space Perspective
• Strings from Membranes and Fivebranes