The speaker will show how to construct the familiar heterotic NS5 brane as a topological soliton in a supercritical version of heterotic string theory. Closed string tachyon condensation removes the extra dimensions, leaving the NS5 in 10d, in a process highly reminiscent of the K-theoretical description of type II D-branes, but linking non-trivial gauge bundles and geometry. The construction requires a modification of the anomalous Bianchi identity for H3 in supercritical heterotic string theory. He will give various proofs for the existence of this modification.
The seminar is free and open to all. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.