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String theory and particle physics. An introduction to string phenomenology. (English) Zbl 1260.81001
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (ISBN 978-0-521-51752-2/hbk; 978-1-139-22742-1/ebook). xiii, 673 p. (2012).
String phenomenology is a field exploring the possible embedding of the Standard Model of particle physics in string theory. The main purpose of this book is to provide a systematical introduction to string theory and string phenomenology.
The first six chapters contain introductory material. Chapter 1 presents a brief summary of the Standard Model. Chapter 2 introduces the basic aspects of supersymmetry and its application to the particle physics model. Chapters 3 to 6 constitute an introduction to the basic of string theory including bosonic string (Chapter 3), the heterotic, type-II and type-I superstring (Chapter 4), the simplest toroidal compactification to 4-dimensions (Chapter 5), $$D$$-branes and non-perturbative dualities (Chapter 6). The presentation in these chapters avoids the machinery of conformal field theory (partly covered in an appendix). The four chapters are self-contained and constitute an introductory course on string theory.
Chapters 7 to 12 give a rather detailed description on string compactification giving rise to chiral theories in 4 dimensions including heterotic constructions (Chapters 7 and 8) and their low-energy effective action (Chapter 9) as well as type-II orientifolds (Chapters 10 and 11) and their effective action (Chapter 12).
Chapters 13 and 14 introduce string instantaneous flux and closed string flux. Chapter 15 constitutes the study of moduli fixing and its interplay with supersymmetry breaking. Further phenomenological issues are discussed in Chapter 16, and Chapter 17 contains a general discussion of the space of string vacua.
The authors attempt to reduce the mathematics to a minimum. There are appendices covering the main concepts and tools of modular functions, geometry and topology.

MSC:
 81-01 Introductory exposition (textbooks, tutorial papers, etc.) pertaining to quantum theory 81T30 String and superstring theories; other extended objects (e.g., branes) in quantum field theory 81T60 Supersymmetric field theories in quantum mechanics 81V22 Unified quantum theories 14D20 Algebraic moduli problems, moduli of vector bundles
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