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Non-geometric fluxes, asymmetric strings and nonassociative geometry. (English) Zbl 1229.81220

Summary: We study closed bosonic strings propagating both in a flat background with constant \(H\)-flux and in its T-dual configurations. We define a conformal field theory capturing linear effects in the flux and compute scattering amplitudes of tachyons, where the Rogers dilogarithm plays a prominent role. For the scattering of four tachyons, a fluxed version of the Virasoro-Shapiro amplitude is derived and its pole structure is analysed. In the case of an \(R\)-flux background obtained after three T-dualities, we find indications for a nonassociative target-space structure which can be described in terms of a deformed tri-product. Remarkably, this product is compatible with crossing symmetry of conformal correlation functions. We finally argue that the \(R\)-flux background flows to an asymmetric CFT.

MSC:

81T30 String and superstring theories; other extended objects (e.g., branes) in quantum field theory
81T40 Two-dimensional field theories, conformal field theories, etc. in quantum mechanics
81U05 \(2\)-body potential quantum scattering theory
81V17 Gravitational interaction in quantum theory
16W10 Rings with involution; Lie, Jordan and other nonassociative structures