TH String Theory Seminar

Deformations of special geometry and the holomorphic anomaly equation

by Gabriel Lopes Cardoso (IST Lisbon)

Europe/Zurich
4/3-006 - TH Conference Room (CERN)

4/3-006 - TH Conference Room

CERN

110
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Description
The topological string captures certain superstring amplitudes which are also encoded in the underlying string effective action. However, unlike the topological string free energy, the effective action that comprises higher-order derivative couplings is not defined in terms of duality covariant variables. This puzzle is resolved in the context of real special geometry by introducing the so-called Hesse potential, which is defined in terms of duality covariant variables and is related by a Legendre transformation to the function that encodes the effective action. It is demonstrated that the Hesse potential contains a unique subsector that possesses all the characteristic properties of a topological string free energy. In particular, this subsector captures the holomorphic anomaly equation of perturbative type II topological string theory. Time permitting, we will also comment on non-perturbative corrections.
Slides