Title: A Distance Conjecture for Branes
Host: Liam McAllister
Abstract: In this talk, I will introduce the Brane Distance Conjecture, which is a generalization and consequence of the Sharpened Distance Conjecture. This new conjecture holds that, in an asymptotic distance phi in the moduli space of a D-dimensional string theory, at least one particle tower or non-particle brane of at most P spacetime dimensions will have an exponentially low tension T~exp(-alpha phi), where alpha is at least 1/sqrt(D-P-1). I will show that this new conjecture is satisfied in multiple string theory examples, and I will discuss how it might suggest the existence of novel, undiscovered branes in 10d heterotic string theory. Based on 2407.20316 and upcoming work with Ben Heidenreich and Tom Rudelius.