HEP Theory Journal Club

Effective mass and symmetry breaking in the IKKT matrix model from +compactification

Samuel Laliberté

McGill

The IKKT model is a promising candidate for a non-perturbative description of Type IIB superstring theory. A modified version of this model, with a Lorentz invariant mass term, is known to have interesting early universe solutions. This mass term, however, is often introduced by hand or serves as a regulator in the theory. In this talk, I will show that a Lorentz invariant mass term can arise naturally in the IKKT model under certain choices of compactification. When six dimensions are compactified, the S(1,9) symmetry of the Lorentzian IKKT model is naturally broken to SO(1,3) x SO(6). This opens the way for solutions of the IKKT model where three spacial dimensions become large, and six others stay small.