Motivated by the M-theory compactification physics, we study a type IIA superstring quiver model with an open string axion field associated with the U(1)_{PQ} Peccei-Quinn global symmetry using D6-brane physics. This realization extends the symmetry of the SM-Like and contributes to the mediation of the electroweak symmetry breaking. The associated axion energy scales are approached in terms of D2 and D6-branes in type IIA compactifications on Calabi-Yau threeforlds. Using the fermion mass scales as well as string theory results, the allowed axion window is discussed in terms of intersecting D6-branes wrapping 3-cycles belonging to the middle cohomology of the type IIA internal space. The non-perturbative effect of the open string axion sector is dealt with using a D2-brane wrapping a 3-cycle producing (1+3)-dimensional stringy instantons. According to the known data, the vacuum expectation value of the axion and the mass scale of the involved scalar provide a probe of the stringy physics effect in the SM and a possible axionic dark matter candidate.
We construct the type IIA Green-Schwarz superstring action on a ten-dimensional IIA plane wave background with 24 supersymmetries keeping the full 32 fermionic coordinates. Starting from the symmetry superalgebra for the maximally supersymmetric eleven dimensional plane wave background, we obtain the eleven dimensional superfields. The Kaluza-Klein reduction leads to the ten dimensional superfields for the IIA plane wave background, from which the type IIA superstring action is constructed. We show that the superstring action reduces correctly to the previously known light-cone gauge fixed act…
The compactification of type IIA superstring on n-dimensional Calabi-Yau manifolds is discussed. In particular, a conjecture is given for type IIA extremal p-dimensional black brane attractors corresponding to Ads_{p+2}\times S^{8-2n-p} horizon geometries.
The twistor--like formulation of the type IIA superstring $σ$--model in D=10 is obtained by performing a dimensional reduction of the recently proposed twistor--like action of the supermembrane in D=11. The superstring action is invariant under local, worldsheet $(n,n)$ supersymmetry where $3\leq n \leq 8$ and is classical equivalent to the standard Green--Schwarz action (at least for $n=8)$
We show that the M-theory/IIA and IIA/IIB superstring dualities together with the diffeomorphism invariance of the underlying theories require the presence of certain p-brane bound states in IIA and IIB superstring theories preserving 1/2 of the spacetime supersymmetry. We then confirm the existence of IIA and IIB supergravity solutions having the appropriate p-brane bound states interpretation.
This paper considers the Free Differential Algebra and rheonomic parametrization of type IIA Supergravity, extended to include the BRS differential and the ghosts. We consider not only the ghosts lambda's of supersymmetry but also the ghosts corresponding to gauge and Lorentz transformations. In this way we can derive not only the BRS transformations of fields and ghosts but also the standard pure spinor constraints on lambda's. Moreover the formalism allows to derive the action for the pure spinor formulation of type IIA superstrings in a general background, recovering the action first obtain…
We study the low-lying excitations of Type IIA superstring theory in a plane wave background with 24 supersymmetries. In the light-cone gauge, the superstring action has ${\cal N}=(4,4)$ supersymmetry and is exactly solvable, since it is quadratic in superstring coordinates. We obtain explicitly the spectrum of the Type IIA supergravity fluctuation modes in the plane wave background and give its correspondence with the spectrum of string states from the zero-mode sector of the light-cone superstring Hamiltonian.
In light of the present LHC Run II at $\sqrt{s}=13$ $TeV$, string y standard-like model is studied. Concretely, a singlet $S $ scalar-extended SM given in terms four stacks of intersecting D6-branes in a type IIA superstring compactification producing a large gauge symmetry is examined. The involved scales are dealt with. According to the dark matter relic density, the mass of the scalar dark matter beyond the SM $m_{S}\lesssim 10^{3}GeV$ and the corresponding Higgs portal couplings $λ_{SH}\lesssim 10^{-8}$ are approached.
We calculate the entropy of 4-charge extremal black holes in Type IIA supersting theory by using Sen's entropy function method. Using the low energy effective actions in both $10D$ and 4D, we find precise agreements with the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of the black hole. We also calculate the higher order corrections to the entropy and find that they depend on the exact form of the higher order corrections to the effective action.
In the previous paper, the authors pointed out correspondence of a supersymmetric double-well matrix model with two-dimensional type IIA superstring theory on a nontrivial Ramond-Ramond background from the viewpoint of symmetries and spectrum. In this paper we further investigate the correspondence from dynamical aspects by comparing scattering amplitudes in the matrix model and those in the type IIA theory. In the latter, cocycle factors are introduced to vertex operators in order to reproduce correct transformation laws and target-space statistics. By a perturbative treatment of the Ramond-R…
We derive the Free Differential Algebra for type IIA supergravity in 10 dimensions in the string frame. We provide all fermionic terms for all curvatures. We derive the Green-Schwarz sigma model for type IIA superstring based on the FDA construction and we check its invariance under kappa-symmetry. Finally, we derive the pure spinor sigma model and we check the BRST invariance. The present derivation has the advantage that the resulting sigma model is constructed in terms of the superfields appearing in the FDA and therefore one can directly relate a supergravity background with the correspond…
Witten proposed that the low energy physics of strongly coupled D=10 type-IIA superstring may be described by D=11 supergravity. To explore the stringy aspects of the underlying theory we examine the stringy massive states. We propose a systematic formula for identifying non-perturbative states in D=10 type-IIA superstring theory, such that, together with the elementary excited string states, they form D=11 supersymmetric multiplets multiplets in SO(10) representations. This provides hints for the construction of a weakly coupled D=11 theory that is dual to the strongly coupled D=10 type IIA s…
A brane picture in Type IIA superstring for the Yang Monopole is reconsidered. It makes use of D2 and D4-branes wrapped on cycles in the K3 surface. When the model was first presented some problems concerning the charges of the monopoles arised. In this paper, they are shown to be cured by the model itself. Surprisingly, the incompatibility between the multi-charge configuration and the spherical symmetry of the Yang Monopole is seen in the brane description as the emergence of the enhancon shell and the fuzzy geometry. This consistency is deep and surprising, and is the point that triggered t…
In the previous paper, the authors pointed out correspondence between a supersymmetric double-well matrix model and two-dimensional type IIA superstring theory on a Ramond-Ramond background from the viewpoint of symmetry and spectrum. This was confirmed by agreement between planar correlation functions in the matrix model and tree-level amplitudes in the superstring theory. In order to investigate the correspondence further, in this paper we compute correlation functions to all order of genus expansion in the double scaling limit of the matrix model. One-point functions of operators protected …
A covariant action for closed D=11 superstring with local $κ$-symmetry and global supersymmetry transformations obeying the algebra $\{Q_α,Q_β\}=CΓ^{μν}P_μn_ν$ is suggested. Physical sector variables of the model and their dynamics exactly coincide with those of the D=10 type IIA Green-Schwarz superstring. It is shown that action of the D=10 type IIA Green-Schwarz superstring can be considered as a partially gauge fixed version of the D=11 superstring action.
We lift the bosonic AdS_4 x CP^3 solution of type IIA supergravity preserving 24 supersymmetries to a D=10 superspace which has 32 Grassmann-odd directions. The type IIA superspace is obtained from D=11 via dimensional reduction of the coset superspace OSp(8|4)/SO(7) x SO(1,3) by realizing the latter as a Hopf fibration over the former. This construction generalizes to superspace the Hopf fibration of S^7 as a U(1) bundle over CP^3, and is suitable for writing the explicit form of Green-Schwarz-type actions encoding the dynamics of the type IIA string and branes in the AdS_4 x CP^3 superbackgr…
We present a geometric formulation of type-IIA and -IIB superstring theories in which the Wess-Zumino term is second order in the supersymmetric currents. The currents are constructed using supergroup manifolds corresponding to superalgebras: the IIA superalgebra derived from M-algebra and the IIB superalgebra obtained by a T-duality transformation of the IIA superalgebra. We find that a slight modification of the IIB superalgebra is needed to describe D-string theories, in which the U(1) gauge field on the worldsheet is explicitly constructed in terms of D-string charges. A unification of the…
We perform a detailed study of the type IIA superstring in AdS(4) x CP(3). After introducing suitable bosonic light-cone and fermionic kappa worldsheet gauges we derive the pure boson and fermion SU(2|2) x U(1) covariant light-cone Hamiltonian up to quartic order in fields. As a first application of our derivation we calculate energy shifts for string configurations in a closed fermionic subsector and successfully match these with a set of light-cone Bethe equations. We then turn to investigate the mismatch between the degrees of freedom of scattering states and oscillatory string modes. Since…
We study N=1 four dimensional gauge theories as the world volume theory of D4-branes between NS 5-branes. We find constructions for a number of known field theory dualities involving $SU(N_c)\times SU(N_c')$ groups, coupled by matter fields F in the $(N_c, \bar N_c)$ representation, in terms of branes of type IIA string theory. The dual gauge group follows from simply reversing the ordering of the NS 5-branes and the D6-branes while conserving magnetic charge on the world volume of the branes. We interpret many field theory phenomena such as deformation of the superpotential $W = \Tr (F\tilde …
It was earlier shown that an SO(9,1) $θ^\a$ spinor variable can be constructed from RNS matter and ghost fields. $θ^\a$ has a bosonic worldsheet super-partner $λ^\a$ which plays the role of a twistor variable, satisfying $λΓ^μλ= \partial x^μ+iθΓ^μ\partialθ$. For Type IIA superstrings, the left-moving $[θ_L^\a,λ_L^\a]$ and right-moving $[θ_{R\a},λ_{R\a}]$ can be combined into 32-component SO(10,1) spinors $[θ^A,λ^A]$. This suggests that $λ^A Γ^{11}_{AB}λ^B= 2λ_L^\a λ_{R\a}$ can be interpreted as momentum in the eleventh direction. Evidence for this interpretation comes from the zero-momentum ve…
It is developed the phase-space formulation for the Type IIA superstring on the AdS_4 x CP^3 background in the kappa-symmetry light-cone gauge for which the light-like directions are taken from the D=3 Minkowski boundary of AdS_4. After fixing bosonic light-cone gauge the superstring Hamiltonian is expressed as a function of the transverse physical variables and in the quadratic approximation corresponds to the light-cone gauge-fixed IIA superstring in flat space.
The topological part of the M-theory partition function was shown by Witten to be encoded in the index of an E8 bundle in eleven dimensions. This partition function is, however, not automatically anomaly-free. We observe here that the vanishing W_7=0 of the Diaconescu-Moore-Witten anomaly in IIA and compactified M-theory partition function is equivalent to orientability of spacetime with respect to (complex-oriented) elliptic cohomology. Motivated by this, we define an elliptic cohomology correction to the IIA partition function, and propose its relationship to interaction between 2-branes and…
We consider orientifolds of Calabi-Yau 3-folds in the context of Type IIA and Type IIB superstrings. We show how mirror symmetry can be used to sum up worldsheet instanton contributions to the superpotential for Type IIA superstrings. The relevant worldsheets have the topology of the disc and ${\bf RP^2}$.
We investigate a string-inspired axion extension of the standard model obtained from Type II superstrings using quiver method. In the first part, we discuss intersecting Type IIA D6-branes wrapping non trivial 3-cycles in the presence of the Peccei-Quinn symmetry U(1)$_{PQ}$. Concretely, a complex scalar field $ϕ=ρexp(\frac{iσ}{f_σ})$, where $σ$ is a closed string axion generates a general fermion Yukawa coupling weighted by a flavor-dependent power $n_{f}$ taking specific values. Using string theory and standard model data, we find that the corresponding axion window is in the allowed range $…
According to the recent proposal by Aharony, Bergman, Jafferis and Maldacena the N=6 supersymmetric Chern-Simons theory in three dimensions has a 't Hooft limit whose holographic dual is described by type IIA superstings on AdS_4 x CP^3 background. We argue that the Green-Schwarz action for type IIA string theory on AdS_4 x CP^3 with kappa-symmetry partially fixed can be understood as a coset sigma-model on the same space supplied with a proper Wess-Zumino term. We construct the corresponding sigma-model Lagrangian and show that it is invariant under a local fermionic symmetry which for generi…
The type IIA superstring partition function Z_IIA on the euclidean attractor geometry AdS_2 x S^2 x CY_3, computes the modified elliptic genus Z_BH of the associated black hole. The hybrid formalism of superstrings defined as a conformally invariant sigma model on the coset supermanifold PSU(1,1|2)/U(1)xU(1), together with Calabi-Yau and chiral boson CFTs, is used to calculate Z_IIA. The sigma model action on AdS_2 x S^2 is explicitly written in U(1)xU(1) invariant variables. The N=2 generators of AdS_2 x S^2 x CY_3 are enlarged and embedded in an N=4 topological algebra. The world sheet super…
We explicitly compute nonperturbative effects in a supersymmetric double-well matrix model corresponding to two-dimensional type IIA superstring theory on a nontrivial Ramond-Ramond background. We analytically determine the full one-instanton contribution to the free energy and one-point function, including all perturbative fluctuations around the one-instanton background. The leading order two-instanton contribution is determined as well. We see that supersymmetry is spontaneously broken by instantons, and that the breaking persists after taking a double scaling limit which realizes the type …
We derive the T-duality transformations that transform a general d=10 solution of the type-IIA string with one isometry to a solution of the type-IIB string with one isometry and vice versa. In contrast to other superstring theories, the T-duality transformations are not related to a non-compact symmetry of a d=9 supergravity theory. We also discuss S-duality in d=9 and d=10 and the relationship with eleven-dimensional supergravity theory. We apply these dualities to generate new solutions of the type IIA and type IIB superstrings and of eleven-dimensional supergravity.
The connection between IIA superstring theory compactified on a circle of radius R and IIB theory compactified on a circle of radius 1/R is reexamined from the perspective of N=2, D=9 space-time supersymmetry. We argue that the consistency of IIA/B duality requires the BPS states corresponding to momentum and winding of either of the type-II superstrings to transform as inequivalent supermultiplets. We show that this is indeed the case for any finite compactification radius, thus providing a nontrivial confirmation of IIA/B duality. From the point of view of N=2, D=9 supergravity, one is natur…
Based on the result of string/string duality, we construct the six dimensional Yang monopole in terms of Type IIA wrapped D-branes. In particular, we show that all the information of such a magnetic solution can be encoded in the K3 surface compactification in the presence of D2 and D4-branes wrapping its non trivial cycles. We give a geometrical and physical interpretations for the {+1,-1} Yang monopole charges. Lifting to eleven dimensions, we relate this Type IIA configuration with the heterotic M-theory one, given in hep-th/0607193. The nature of the black Yang monopole is also discussed.
We use the linear supermultiplet formalism of supergravity to study axion couplings and chiral anomalies in the context of field-theoretical Lagrangians describing orbifold compactifications beyond the classical approximation. By matching amplitudes computed in the effective low energy theory with the results of string loop calculations we determine the appropriate counterterm in this effective theory that assures modular invariance to all loop order. We use supersymmetry consistency constraints to identify the correct ultra-violet cut-offs for the effective low energy theory. Our results have…
We show that, in the limit of zero string coupling, $g_s \to 0$, the thermodynamic partition function of matrix string theory is identical to that of the finite temperature, discrete light-cone quantised (DLCQ) type IIA superstring. We discuss how the superstring is recovered in the decompactified $R^+\to\infty$ limit.
Computation of superstring partition function for the non-linear sigma model on the product of a two-torus and its dual within the scope of the doubled formalism is presented. We verify that it reproduces the partition functions of the toroidally compactified type--IIA and type--IIB theories for appropriate choices of the GSO projection.
We study type IIA superstring theory on a PP-wave background with 24 supercharges. This model can exactly be solved and then quantized. The open string in this PP-wave background is also studied. We observe that the theory has supersymmetric Dp-branes for p=2,4,6,8.
We present a version of ten-dimensional IIA supergravity containing a 9-form potential for which the field equations are equivalent to those of the standard, massless, IIA theory for vanishing 10-form field strength, $F_{10}$, and to those of the `massive' IIA theory for non-vanishing $F_{10}$. We exhibit a multi 8-brane solution of this theory which preserves half the supersymmetry. We propose this solution as the effective field theory realization of the Dirichlet 8-brane of type IIA superstring theory.
The supersymmetric action of type IIA D=10 superstring in N=2a, D=10 supergravity background can be derived by double dimensional reduction of the action of supermembrane coupled to D=11 supergravity. We demonstrate that the background Ramond-Ramond fields appear in the resulting superstring action with an extra factor of exponential of the dilaton.
A geometrical formulation of the T-duality rules for type II superstring Ramond--Ramond fields is presented. This is used to derive the Wess-Zumino terms in superstring D-brane actions, including terms proportional to the mass parameter of the IIA theory, thereby completing partial results in the literature. For non-abelian world-volume gauge groups the massive type IIA D-brane actions contain non-abelian Chern--Simons terms for the Born--Infeld gauge potential, implying a quantization of the IIA cosmological constant.
We find that the gas of IIA strings undergoes a phase transition into a gas of IIB strings at the self-dual temperature. A gas of free heterotic strings undergoes a Kosterlitz-Thouless duality transition with positive free energy and positive specific heat but vanishing internal energy at criticality. We examine the consequences of requiring a tachyon-free thermal string spectrum. We show that in the absence of Ramond-Ramond fluxes the IIA and IIB string ensembles are thermodynamically ill-defined. The 10D heterotic superstrings have nonabelian gauge fields and in the presence of a temperature…
In the previous papers, it is pointed out that a supersymmetric double-well matrix model corresponds to a two-dimensional type IIA superstring theory on a Ramond-Ramond background at the level of correlation functions. This was confirmed by agreement between their planar correlation functions. The supersymmetry in the matrix model corresponds to the target space supersymmetry and it is shown to be spontaneously broken by nonperturbative effect. Furthermore, in the matrix model we computed one-point functions of single-trace operators to all order of genus expansion in its double scaling limit.…
In the previous papers, the authors pointed out correspondence between a supersymmetric double-well matrix model and two-dimensional type IIA superstring theory on a Ramond-Ramond background. This was confirmed by agreement between planar correlation functions in the matrix model and tree-level amplitudes in the superstring theory. Furthermore, in the matrix model we computed one-point functions of single-trace operators to all orders of genus expansion in its double scaling limit, and found that the large-order behavior of this expansion is stringy and not Borel summable. In this paper, we di…
Using Hodge diagram combinatorial data, we study qubit and fermionic Fock spaces from the point of view of type II superstring black holes based on complex compactifications. Concretely, we establish a one-to-one correspondence between qubits, fermionic spaces and extremal black holes in maximally supersymmetric supergravity obtained from type II superstring on complex toroidal and Calabi-Yau compactifications. We interpret the differential forms of the n-dimensional complex toroidal compactification as states of n-qubits encoding information on extremal black hole charges. We show that there …
We present an analytic expression of the nonperturbative free energy of a double-well supersymmetric matrix model in its double scaling limit, which corresponds to two-dimensional type IIA superstring theory on a nontrivial Ramond-Ramond background. To this end we draw upon the wisdom of random matrix theory developed by Tracy and Widom, which expresses the largest eigenvalue distribution of unitary ensembles in terms of a Painleve II transcendent. Regularity of the result at any value of the string coupling constant shows that the third-order phase transition between a supersymmetry-preservin…
We derive from a general formulation of pure spinor string theory on type IIA backgrounds the specific form of the action for the AdS_4 x P^3 background. We provide a complete geometrical characterization of the structure of the superfields involved in the action.
We find the entire form of the amplitude of two fermion strings (with different chirality), a massless scalar field and one closed string Ramond-Ramond (RR) in IIA superstring theory which is different from its IIB one. We make use of a very particular gauge fixing and explore several new couplings in IIA. All infinite $u$- channel scalar poles and $t,s$- channel fermion poles are also constructed. We find new form of higher derivative corrections to two fermion two scalar couplings and show that the first simple $(s+t+u)-$ channel scalar pole for $p+2=n$ case can be obtained by having new hig…
In this letter we describe how to string together the doubled field approach by Cremmer, Julia, Lu and Pope with Pasti-Sorokin-Tonin technique to construct the sigma-model-like action for type IIA supergravity. The relation of the results with that of obtained in the context of searching for Superstring/M-theory hidden symmetry group is discussed.
The Becker-Becker-Strominger formula, describing the string world-sheet instanton corrections to the four-fermion correlator in the Calabi-Yau compactified type-IIA superstrings, is calculated in the special case of the Calabi-Yau threefold realized in the intersection of two Del Pezzo surfaces. We also derive the selection rules in the supersymmetric GUT of the Pati-Salam type associated with our construction.
A proposed duality between type IIB superstring theory on R^9 X S^1 and a conjectured 11D fundamental theory (``M theory'') on R^9 X T^2 is investigated. Simple heuristic reasoning leads to a consistent picture relating the various p-branes and their tensions in each theory. Identifying the M theory on R^{10} X S^1 with type IIA superstring theory on R^{10}, in a similar fashion, leads to various relations among the p-branes of the IIA theory.
We give a concise argument that supersymmetric AdS type IIA DGKT flux vacua on general Calabi-Yaus have, interpreted holographically, integer conformal dimensions for low-lying scalar primaries in the dual CFT. These integers are independent of any compactification details, such as the background fluxes or triple intersection numbers of the compact manifold. For the Kähler moduli and dilaton, there is one operator with $Δ= 10$ and $h^{1,1}_{-}$ operators with $Δ=6$, whereas the corresponding axions have $Δ= 11$ and $Δ= 5$. For the complex structure moduli, the $h^{2,1}$ saxions have $Δ=2$, and…
We consider the AdS_4 x CP^3 IIA superstring sigma-model in the background of the "spinning string" classical solution, which possesses two Noether spins. In the limit when one of the spins is infinite there are massless excitations, which govern the infrared worldsheet properties of the model. We obtain a sigma-model of CP^3 with fermions, which describes the dynamics of these massless modes.
We examine the Hamiltonian structure of nonabelian N=2 superstrings models which are the supergroup manifold extensions of N=2 Green-Schwarz superstring. We find the Kac-Moody and Virasoro type superalgebras of the relevant constraints and present elements of the corresponding quantum theory. A comparison with the type IIA Green-Schwarz superstring moving in a general curved 10-d supergravity background is also given. We find that nonabelian superstrings (for d=10) present a particular case of this general system corresponding to a special choices of the background.
Type II superstring theory with mixed Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions admit antisymmetric tensors with varying degrees in the spectrum. We show that there exists a family of dual supergravity lagrangians to the $N=2$ type IIA action in ten dimensions. The duality transformations and the resulting actions are constructed explicitely.
We investigate viable scenarios with various axions in the context of supersymmetric field theory and in globally consistent D-brane models. The Peccei-Quinn symmetry is associated with an anomalous U(1) symmetry, which acquires mass at the string scale but remains as a perturbative global symmetry at low energies. The origin of the scalar Higgs-axion potential from F-, D- and soft breaking terms is derived, and two Standard Model examples of global intersecting D6-brane models in Type II orientifolds are presented, which differ in the realisation of the Higgs sector and in the hidden sector, …
Axionic cosmic string solutions are investigated in a superstring motivated model with a pseudo-anomalous U(1) gauge symmetry. The inclusion of a gauge field and spatially varying dilaton allow local defect solutions with finite energy per unit length to be found. Fermion zero modes (whose presence is implied by supersymmetry) are also analysed. The corresponding fermion currents suggest strong cosmological bounds on the model. It is shown that the unusual form of the axion strings weakens these bounds. Other cosmological constraints on the underlying theory are also discussed.
We propose that the periodic fast radio bursts of FRB 180916.J0158+65 are sourced by axion emission (mass $m_{a} \sim 10^{-14}$ eV) from cosmic superstrings. Some of the emitted axions are converted to photons by magnetic fields as they travel along the line of sight to Earth. An impulsive burst of axion emission generates a photon signal typically lasting for milliseconds and varying with frequency in the observed manner. We find a range of parameters in our cosmic string network model consistent with the properties of FRB 180916.J0158+65. We suggest followup gravitational wave observations t…
Using dyonic solutions in the type IIA superstring theory on Calabi-Yau manifolds, we reconsider the study of black objects and quantum information theory using string/string duality in six dimensions. Concretely, we relate four-qubits with a stringy quaternionic moduli space of type IIA compactification associated with a dyonic black solution formed by black holes (BH) and black 2-branes (B2B) carrying 8 electric charges and 8 magnetic charges. This connection is made by associating the cohomology classes of the heterotic superstring on T^{4} to four-qubit states. These states are interpreted…
The strong coupling dynamics of string theories in dimension $d\geq 4$ are studied. It is argued, among other things, that eleven-dimensional supergravity arises as a low energy limit of the ten-dimensional Type IIA superstring, and that a recently conjectured duality between the heterotic string and Type IIA superstrings controls the strong coupling dynamics of the heterotic string in five, six, and seven dimensions and implies $S$ duality for both heterotic and Type II strings.
In the strong coupling limit type IIA superstring theory develops an eleventh dimension that is not apparent in perturbation theory. This suggests the existence of a consistent 11d quantum theory, called M theory, which is approximated by 11d supergravity at low energies. In this review we describe some of the evidence for this picture and some of its implications.
We present a supersymmetric action functional for the coupled system of an open fundamental superstring and super-D0-branes attached to (identified with) the string endpoints. As a preliminary step the geometrical actions for a free super-D0-brane and a free type IIA superstring have been built. The pure bosonic limits of the action for the coupled system and of the equations of motion are discussed in some detail.
