Superstring Theory: Volume 2, Loop Amplitudes, Anomalies and Phenomenology (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics) [Paperback]

Michael B. Green (Author), John H. Schwarz (Author), Edward Witten (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521357535 | ISBN-13: 978-0521357531 | Publication Date: July 29, 1988 | Edition: First Edition

In recent years, superstring theory has emerged as a promising approach to reconciling general relativity with quantum mechanics and unifying the fundamental interactions. Problems that have seemed insuperable in previous approaches take on a totally new character in the context of superstring theory, and some of them have been overcome. Interest in the subject has greatly increased following a succession of exciting recent developments. This two-volume book attempts to meet the need for a systematic exposition of superstring theory and its applications accessible to as wide an audience as possible.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a useful reference." Donald Marolf, University of California Santa Barbara, American Journal of Physics

"This is clearly the book on string theory." American Mathematical Monthly

Product Details

• Paperback: 614 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; First Edition edition (July 29, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521357535
• ISBN-13: 978-0521357531
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,069,906 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extensive coverage of phenomenology, March 27, 2006

By 

Dean Welch - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Superstring Theory: Volume 2, Loop Amplitudes, Anomalies and Phenomenology (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics) (Paperback)

Volume I of "Superstring theory" presented the fundamentals of string theory. This book builds on those fundamentals and explores the possible observable consequences of string theory. The subtitle "Loop amplitudes, anomalies and phenomenology" provides a good high level view of the content.

While the first volume demonstrated that string theory gives general relativity in the low energy limit, this volume explores some of the possible string theory implications in particle physics and how six of ten dimensions get compactified leaving the familiar four spacetime dimensions.

The first two chapters cover one-loop diagrams in bosonic and superstring theories. The tone is similar to the tree level scattering amplitudes calculations done in volume I. The amplitudes are calculated for both open and closed strings (which of course must be included when you have open strings that interact), the important concepts of moduli space and orbifolds are introduced here. Among the interesting results for the bosonic string are an additional argument for D = 26 and the appearance of an ultraviolet cutoff for the cosmological constant.

Following this is a lucid discussion of anomaly cancellation in Type I theory and path integral methods. Anomaly cancellation in Type IIB theories is considered later in the book, the subject of anomalies reappears throughout the remainder of the book.

The phenomenology discussion starts by studying the low energy effective action. The supersymmetric gauge fields are examined for various string symmetry groups. The background in differential geometry needed to understand gauge theory, as expressed in the language of forms, is presented in an earlier chapter. The gauge fields that arise from compactification are treated in the next chapter, along with anomaly cancellation in four dimensions.

This is followed by a very good, albeit brief, chapter on algebraic geometry. This is obviously not a comprehensive introduction, it sticks to the aspects that are relevant for string theory, for example Calabi-Yau spaces and Hodge numbers. The final chapter uses this mathematical machinery to explore the consequences of geometry of the compactified space may have for particle physics in our four spacetime dimensions.

In my opinion this book holds up even better than volume I, no small feat, especially the latter parts of it. I think anyone specializing in string theory should still consider this required reading. If their emphasis is on string theory as a grand unified theory, or other implications of the low energy limits of string theory, then there's likely little doubt this is required reading.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A legendary text, and still the definitive, February 29, 2008

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Manjul Apratim (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Superstring Theory: Volume 2, Loop Amplitudes, Anomalies and Phenomenology (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics) (Paperback)

This is the quintessential text for anyone who wishes to learn anything about String Theory. It is approachable right after one has some background in Gauge Field Theories and General Relativity (not because of the Mathematical level, but because many of the ideas applied there resurface in String Theory and it is difficult to understand why unless one is familiar with them at the more basic level); it is extremely well written, and was the first text of its kind. It does not follow the language of Conformal Field Theory per se, which was developed as a subject after this text was written, but this is in fact a positive aspect, since every calculation is reasoned out from a physical perspective and the ideas of quantum field theory, and not merely shoved into the framework of an existing language. The chapters on compactification are the best there are, and though the modern techniques in the subject have slightly changed, it would be quite an ordeal if one were to try to learn String Theory from not this text but some other, for none of the more recent texts I have seen match up even closely to this one. Herein ideas seem to lucidly flow, making a technically advanced subject appear a logical extension of existing knowledge.