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The low-energy limit of string theory contains additional gravitational degrees of freedom, a skew-symmetric tensor $B$-field and a scalar dilaton, that are not present in general relativity. Together with the metric, these three fields are naturally embedded in the $\mathbf{O}(D,D)$-symmetric framework of double field theory. The $\mathbf{O}(D,D)$ symmetry uniquely prescribes the interactions between the extended gravitational sector and other matter, leading to novel features beyond conventional string cosmology. In this work we present the equations of motion for linear perturbations around $\mathbf{O}(D,D)$ string cosmological backgrounds in $D=4$ under a scalar-vector-tensor decomposition. We obtain analytic solutions in the superhorizon limit for scalar perturbations around various homogeneous and isotropic background solutions, including some candidate models for bouncing cosmologies. The generalized energy-momentum tensor includes source terms for the $B$-field and dilaton, and we show how the resulting generalized conservation laws modify the conditions for conservation of curvature perturbations., Comment: 41 + 16 pages (main body + title, appendices, and references)

Fractonic phases are new phases of matter that host excitations with restricted mobility. We show that a certain class of gapless fractonic phases are realized as a result of spontaneous breaking of continuous higher-form symmetries whose conserved charges do not commute with spatial translations. We refer to such symmetries as nonuniform higher-form symmetries. These symmetries fall within the standard definition of higher-form symmetries in quantum field theory, and the corresponding symmetry generators are topological. Worldlines of particles are regarded as the charged objects of 1-form symmetries, and mobility restrictions can be implemented by introducing additional 1-form symmetries whose generators do not commute with spatial translations. These features are realized by effective field theories associated with spontaneously broken nonuniform 1-form symmetries. At low energies, the theories reduce to known higher-rank gauge theories such as scalar/vector charge gauge theories, and the gapless excitations in these theories are interpreted as Nambu--Goldstone modes for higher-form symmetries. Due to the nonuniformity of the symmetry, some of the modes acquire a gap, which is the higher-form analogue of the inverse Higgs mechanism of spacetime symmetries. The gauge theories have emergent nonuniform magnetic symmetries, and some of the magnetic monopoles become fractonic. We identify the 't~Hooft anomalies of the nonuniform higher-form symmetries and the corresponding bulk symmetry-protected topological phases. By this method, the mobility restrictions are fully determined by the choice of the commutation relations of charges with translations. This approach allows us to view existing (gapless) fracton models such as the scalar/vector charge gauge theories and their variants from a unified perspective and enables us to engineer theories with desired mobility restrictions., Comment: 45 pages, 3 figures; ver 2: updated references; ver3: minor edits

We initiate a systematic study of fracton physics within the geometric framework of Double Field Theory. We ascribe the immobility and large degeneracy of the former to the non-Riemannian backgrounds of the latter, in terms of generalised geodesics and infinite-dimensional isometries. A doubled pure Yang-Mills or Maxwell theory reduces to an ordinary one coupled to a strain tensor of elasticity theory, and thus rather remarkably provides a unifying description of photons and phonons. Upon a general Double Field Theory background, which consists of Riemannian and non-Riemannian subspaces, the dual photon-phonon pair becomes fractonic over the non-Riemannian subspace. When the elasticity displacement vector condenses, minimally coupled charged particles acquire an effective mass even in the purely Riemannian case, yielding predictions for polaron physics and time crystals. Furthermore, the immobility of neutral particles along the non-Riemannian directions is lifted to a saturation velocity for charged particles. Utilising the differential geometry of Double Field Theory we also present curved spacetime extensions which exhibit general covariance., Comment: v3) Published version. Title changed from "Fractons, geometrically" to current title; minor revisions. v2) 12 pages + appendix + references = 17 pages. Revised and expanded version: includes extensions to curved spacetime, predictions for polaron mass and time crystals, further clarifying remarks and details, and additional references. v1) 5 pages + supplemental material + references = 10 pages

We embed natural inflation in an explict string theory model and derive observables in cosmology. We achieve this by compactifying the type IIB string on a Calabi-Yau orientifold, stabilizing moduli via the Large Volume Scenario, and configuring axions using D7-brane stacks. In order to obtain a large effective decay constant, we employ the Kim-Nilles-Peloso alignment mechanism, with the required multiple axions arising naturally from anisotropic bulk geometries. The bulk volumes, and hence the axion decay constants, are stabilized by generalized one-loop corrections and subject to various conditions: the K\"ahler cone condition on the string geometry; the convex hull condition of the weak gravity conjecture; and the constraint from the power spectrum of scalar perturbations. We find that all constraints can be satisfied in a geometry with relatively small volume and thus heavy bulk axion mass. We also covariantize the convex hull condition for the axion-dilaton-instanton system and verify the normalization of the extremal bound., Comment: 54 pages, 8 figures

We study the classical double copy for ungauged half-maximal supergravities using the Kaluza-Klein reduction of double field theory (DFT). We construct a general formula for the Kaluza-Klein (KK) reduction of the DFT Kerr-Schild ansatz. The KK reduction of the ansatz is highly nonlinear, but the associated equations of motion are linear. This linear structure implies that half-maximal supergravities admit a classical double copy. We show that their single copy is given by a pair of Maxwell-scalar theories, which are the KK reduction of a higher-dimensional single copy of DFT. We also investigate their T-duality transformations - both the Buscher rule and continuous O(D,D) rotations. Applying the Buscher rule to the Kerr BH, we obtain a solution with a nontrivial Kalb-Ramond field and dilaton. We also identify the single copy of Sen's heterotic BH and the chiral null model and show that the chiral null model is self-dual under T-duality rotations., Comment: 36 pages, 1 figure

We study the phase transition between G-instantons and D3-branes. A G-instanton is a classical solution to the self-dual equation of the M/F-theory four-form field strength G in the complex fourfold. This phase transition is dual to that between small instantons and 5-branes in the heterotic string. Using G as a background gauge flux, we may dynamically control the gauge symmetry breaking, connect between different vacua of F-theory and understand D3-branes in terms of group-theoretical quantities. We also discuss the resulting chirality change and preservation of anomaly freedom., Comment: 27 pages; Added discussion on chirality change

In string theory the closed-string massless NS-NS sector forms a multiplet of $\mathbf{O}(D,D)$ symmetry. This suggests a specific modification to General Relativity in which the entire NS-NS sector is promoted to stringy graviton fields. Imposing off-shell $\mathbf{O}(D,D)$ symmetry fixes the correct couplings to other matter fields and the Einstein field equations are enriched to comprise $D^{2}+1$ components, dubbed recently as the Einstein Double Field Equations. Here we explore the cosmological implications of this framework. We derive the most general homogeneous and isotropic ansatzes for both stringy graviton fields and the $\mathbf{O}(D,D)$-covariant energy-momentum tensor. Crucially, the former admits space-filling magnetic $H$-flux. Substituting them into the Einstein Double Field Equations, we obtain the $\mathbf{O}(D,D)$ completion of the Friedmann equations along with a generalized continuity equation. We discuss how solutions in this framework may be characterized by two equation-of-state parameters, $w$ and $\lambda$, where the latter characterizes the relative intensities of scalar and tensor forces. When $\lambda+3w=1$, the dilaton remains constant throughout the cosmological evolution, and one recovers the standard Friedmann equations for generic matter content (i.e. for any $w$). We further point out that, in contrast to General Relativity, neither an $\mathbf{O}(D,D)$-symmetric cosmological constant nor a scalar field with positive energy density gives rise to a de Sitter solution., Comment: v2: 31 + 13 pages; 1 figure. References added; abstract amended; discussion amended and clarified throughout. Results unchanged. To be published in EPJC. v1: 28 + 12 pages (main body + title, appendix, and references); 1 figure

Upon treating the whole closed string massless sector as stringy graviton fields, Double Field Theory may evolve into Stringy Gravity, i.e. the stringy augmentation of General Relativity. Equipped with an $\mathrm{O}(D,D)$ covariant differential geometry beyond Riemann, we spell out the definition of the Energy-Momentum tensor in Stringy Gravity and derive its on-shell conservation law from doubled general covariance. Equating it with the recently identified stringy Einstein curvature tensor, all the equations of motion of the closed string massless sector are unified into a single expression, $G_{AB}=8\pi G T_{AB}$, which we dub the `Einstein Double Field Equations'. As an example, we study the most general ${D=4}$ static, asymptotically flat, spherically symmetric, `regular' solution, sourced by the stringy Energy-Momentum tensor which is nontrivial only up to a finite radius from the center. Outside this radius, the solution matches the known vacuum geometry which has four constant parameters. We express these as volume integrals of the interior stringy Energy-Momentum tensor and discuss relevant energy conditions., Comment: 1+72 pages, 2 figures. v2) restructured for section 2 to review DFT as Stringy Gravity

We continue the investigation into non-maximally symmetric compactifications of the heterotic string. In particular, we consider compactifications where the internal space is allowed to depend on two or more external directions. For preservation of supersymmetry, this implies that the internal space must in general be that of a $Spin(7)$ manifold, which leads to a $1/4$-BPS four-dimensional supersymmetric perturbative vacuum breaking all but one supercharge. We find that these solutions allow for internal geometries previously excluded by the domain-wall-type solutions, and hence the resulting four-dimensional superpotential is more generic. In particular, we find an interesting resemblance to the superpotentials that appear in non-geometric flux compactifications of type II string theory. If the vacua are to be used for phenomenological applications, they must be lifted to maximal symmetry by some non-perturbative or higher-order effect., Comment: 26 pages, minor corrections, Published version

Dark radiation is a compelling extension to $\Lambda$CDM: current experimental results hint at $\Delta N_{\rm eff} \gtrsim 0.5$, which is increased to $\Delta N_{\rm eff} \simeq 1$ if the recent BICEP2 results are included. In recent years dark radiation has been considered in the context of string theory models such as the LARGE Volume Scenario of type IIB string theory, forging a link between present-day cosmological observations and models of physics at the Planck scale. In this paper I consider an extension of the LARGE Volume Scenario in which the bulk volume is stabilised by two moduli instead of one. Consequently, the lightest modulus no longer corresponds to the compactification volume but instead to a transverse direction in the bulk geometry. I focus on scenarios in which sequestering of soft masses is achieved by localising the Standard Model on D3 branes at a singularity. The fraction of dark radiation produced in such models vastly exceeds experimental bounds, ruling out the sequestered LARGE Volume Scenario with two bulk moduli as a model of the early Universe., Comment: 12 pages, no figures; v3 - expanded discussions, clarified terminology, corrected error in equation (3.11); version to be published in JHEP

We show that the soft X-ray excess in the Coma cluster can be explained by a cosmic background of relativistic axions converting into photons in the cluster magnetic field. We provide a detailed self-contained review of the cluster soft X-ray excess, the proposed astrophysical explanations and the problems they face, and explain how a 0.1-1 keV axion background naturally arises at reheating in many string theory models of the early universe. We study the morphology of the soft excess by numerically propagating axions through stochastic, multi-scale magnetic field models that are consistent with observations of Faraday rotation measures from Coma. By comparing to ROSAT observations of the 0.2-0.4 keV soft excess, we find that the overall excess luminosity is easily reproduced for $g_{a\gamma\gamma} \sim 2 \times 10^{-13}$ GeV$^{-1}$. The resulting morphology is highly sensitive to the magnetic field power spectrum. For Gaussian magnetic field models, the observed soft excess morphology prefers magnetic field spectra with most power in coherence lengths on ${\cal O}(3 {\rm ~kpc})$ scales over those with most power on ${\cal O}(12 {\rm ~kpc})$ scales. Within this scenario, we bound the mean energy of the axion background to $50\, {\rm eV}\lesssim \langle E_a \rangle \lesssim 250\, {\rm eV}$, the axion mass to $m_a \lesssim 10^{-12}\,\hbox{eV}$, and derive a lower bound on the axion-photon coupling $g_{a\gamma\gamma} \gtrsim \sqrt{0.5/\Delta N_{\rm eff}}\, 1.4 \times 10^{-13}$ GeV$^{-1}$., Comment: 43 pages, 11 figures

In large volume models reheating is driven by the decays of the volume modulus to the visible sector, while the decays to its axion partners result in dark radiation. In this article we discuss the impact of loop corrections on the only model-independent visible decay channel: the decay into Higgs pairs via a Giudice-Masiero term. Including such radiative effects leads to a more precise determination of the relative fraction of dark radiation, since by contrast all loop corrections to the volume axion decay mode are Planck suppressed. Assuming an MSSM spectrum and that the Giudice-Masiero coupling is fixed at the string scale by a shift symmetry in the Higgs sector, we arrive at a prediction for the effective number of neutrinos. The result turns out to be too large to be consistent with data, highly disfavouring the minimal model., Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures; v2: Version to appear in JHEP. Expanded introduction to clarify arguments, assumptions and applicability of results; added references

We study soft supersymmetry breaking terms for anisotropic LARGE volume compactifications, where the bulk volume is set by a fibration with one small four-cycle and one large two-cycle. We consider scenarios where D7s wrap either a blow-up cycle or the small fibre cycle. Chiral matter can arise either from modes parallel or perpendicular to the brane. We compute soft terms for this matter and find that for the case where the D7 brane wraps the fibre cycle the scalar masses can be parametrically different, allowing a possible splitting of third-generation soft terms., Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures; references added