About

M. Ronen Plesser is a Professor of Physics at Duke University, with appointments in the Department of Physics and the Department of Mathematics since 2014. His research centers on String Theory, which aims to develop a comprehensive theory of the fundamental structure of the universe by replacing point-like particles with extended one-dimensional objects called strings. His work explores the geometric structures that play a crucial role in string theory, emphasizing the interplay between mathematics and physics, particularly through phenomena such as mirror symmetry. Professor Plesser's research addresses the challenge of formulating a consistent quantum theory of gravity, integrating Einstein’s general relativity with quantum mechanics. His investigations have contributed to understanding how geometric structures influence the physics of string theory, with a focus on the role of geometry in incorporating gravitation. His work has provided rich insights into the mathematical and physical aspects of string theory, which remains the most promising candidate for a unified theory of fundamental physics.

Research topics

• Quantum mechanics
• Pure mathematics
• Theoretical physics
• Physics
• Mathematical physics
• Mathematical analysis
• Quantum electrodynamics
• Mathematics

Selected publications

• Fixed points of (0,2) Landau-Ginzburg renormalization group flows and the chiral algebra

  Journal of High Energy Physics · 2022 · 2 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Physics
  • Mathematical physics
  • Theoretical physics

  A bstract We discuss renormalization group flows in two-dimensional quantum field theories with (0,2) supersymmetry. We focus on theories with UV described by a Landau-Ginzburg Lagrangian and use the chiral algebra to constrain the IR dynamics. We present examples where the structure of the chiral algebra is incompatible with unitarity of the IR superconformal theory and discuss the implications of this result for programs of classifying (0,2) SCFTs as endpoints of flows from simple Lagrangian theories.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Fixed points of (0,2) Landau-Ginzburg renormalization group flows and the chiral algebra

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2021

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Physics
  • Mathematical physics
  • Theoretical physics

  We discuss renormalization group flows in two-dimensional quantum field theories with (0,2) supersymmetry. We focus on theories with UV described by a Landau-Ginzburg Lagrangian and use the chiral algebra to constrain the IR dynamics. We present examples where the structure of the chiral algebra is incompatible with unitarity of the IR superconformal theory and discuss the implications of this result for programs of classifying (0,2) SCFTs as endpoints of flows from simple Lagrangian theories.

  PublisherDOI

• Mirror Symmetry and Partition Functions

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2019-02-14 · 2 citations

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  Localization methods have produced explicit expressions for the sphere partition functions of (2,2) superconformal field theories. The mirror symmetry conjecture predicts an IR duality between pairs of Abelian gauged linear sigma models, a class of which describe families of Calabi-Yau manifolds realizable as complete intersections in toric varieties. We investigate this prediction for the sphere partition functions and find agreement between that of a model and its mirror up to the scheme-dependent ambiguities inherent in the definitions of these quantities.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A (0,2) mirror duality

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2018-12-05 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  We construct a class of exactly solved (0,2) heterotic compactifications, similar to the (2,2) models constructed by Gepner. We identify these as special points in moduli spaces containing geometric limits described by non-linear sigma models on complete intersection Calabi-Yau spaces in toric varieties, equipped with a bundle whose rank is strictly greater than that of the tangent bundle. These moduli spaces do not in general contain a locus exhibiting (2,2) supersymmetry. A quotient procedure at the exactly solved point realizes the mirror isomorphism, as was the case for Gepner models. We find a geometric interpretation of the mirror duality in the context of hybrid models.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• SU(N) Transitions in M-Theory on Calabi-Yau Fourfolds and Background Fluxes

  eScholarship (California Digital Library) · 2017-04-01 · 8 citations

  articleSenior author

  We study M-theory on a Calabi-Yau fourfold with a smooth surface $S$ of\n$A_{N-1}$ singularities. The resulting three-dimensional theory has a\n$\\mathcal{N}=2$ $SU(N)$ gauge theory sector, which we obtain from a twisted\ndimensional reduction of a seven-dimensional $\\mathcal{N}=1$ $SU(N)$ gauge\ntheory on the surface $S$. A variant of the Vafa-Witten equations governs the\nmoduli space of the gauge theory, which, for a trivial $SU(N)$ principal bundle\nover $S$, admits a Coulomb and a Higgs branch. In M-theory these two gauge\ntheory branches arise from a resolution and a deformation to smooth Calabi-Yau\nfourfolds, respectively. We find that the deformed Calabi-Yau fourfold\nassociated to the Higgs branch requires for consistency a non-trivial four-form\nbackground flux in M-theory. The flat directions of the flux-induced\nsuperpotential are in agreement with the gauge theory prediction for the moduli\nspace of the Higgs branch. We illustrate our findings with explicit examples\nthat realize the Coulomb and Higgs phase transition in Calabi-Yau fourfolds\nembedded in weighted projective spaces. We generalize and enlarge this class of\nexamples to Calabi-Yau fourfolds embedded in toric varieties with an $A_{N-1}$\nsingularity in codimension two.

  Publisher

• Mirror Symmetry and Discriminants

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2017-02-15 · 3 citations

  preprintOpen access

  We analyze the locus, together with multiplicities, of "bad" conformal field theories in the compactified moduli space of N=(2,2) superconformal field theories in the context of the generalization of the Batyrev mirror construction using the gauged linear sigma-model. We find this discriminant of singular theories is described beautifully by the GKZ "A-determinant" but only if we use a noncompact toric Calabi-Yau variety on the A-model side and logarithmic coordinates on the B-model side. The two are related by "local" mirror symmetry. The corresponding statement for the compact case requires changing multiplicities in the GKZ determinant. We then describe a natural structure for monodromies around components of this discriminant in terms of spherical functors. This can be considered a categorification of the GKZ A-determinant. Each component of the discriminant is naturally associated with a category of massless D-branes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• General mirror pairs for gauged linear sigma models

  Journal of High Energy Physics · 2015-11-01 · 13 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  We carefully analyze the conditions for an abelian gauged linear σ-model to exhibit nontrivial IR behavior described by a nonsingular superconformal field theory determining a superstring vacuum. This is done without reference to a geometric phase, by associating singular behavior to a noncompact space of (semi-)classical vacua. We find that models determined by reflexive combinatorial data are nonsingular for generic values of their parameters. This condition has the pleasant feature that the mirror of a nonsingular gauged linear σ-model is another such model, but it is clearly too strong and we provide an example of a non-reflexive mirror pair. We discuss a weaker condition inspired by considering extremal transitions, which is also mirror symmetric and which we conjecture to be sufficient. We apply these ideas to extremal transitions and to understanding the way in which both Berglund-Hübsch mirror symmetry and the Vafa-Witten mirror orbifold with discrete torsion can be seen as special cases of the general combinatorial duality of gauged linear σ-models. In the former case we encounter an example showing that our weaker condition is still not necessary.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• General Mirror Pairs for Gauged Linear Sigma Models

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2015-07-01 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  We carefully analyze the conditions for an abelian gauged linear sigma-model to exhibit nontrivial IR behavior described by a nonsingular superconformal field theory determining a superstring vacuum. This is done without reference to a geometric phase, by associating singular behavior to a noncompact space of (semi-)classical vacua. We find that models determined by reflexive combinatorial data are nonsingular for generic values of their parameters. This condition has the pleasant feature that the mirror of a nonsingular gauged linear sigma-model is another such model, but it is clearly too strong and we provide an example of a non-reflexive mirror pair. We discuss a weaker condition inspired by considering extremal transitions, which is also mirror symmetric and which we conjecture to be sufficient. We apply these ideas to extremal transitions and to understanding the way in which both Berglund-Hubsch mirror symmetry and the Vafa-Witten mirror orbifold with discrete torsion can be seen as special cases of the general combinatorial duality of GLSMs. In the former case we encounter an example showing that our weaker condition is still not necessary.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Special Lagrangian torus fibrations of complete intersection Calabi–Yau manifolds: A geometric conjecture

  Nuclear Physics B · 2015-06-05 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  For complete intersection Calabi–Yau manifolds in toric varieties, Gross and Haase–Zharkov have given a conjectural combinatorial description of the special Lagrangian torus fibrations whose existence was predicted by Strominger, Yau and Zaslow. We present a geometric version of this construction, generalizing an earlier conjecture of the first author.

  PublisherDOI

• Worldsheet instantons and (0,2) linear models

  Journal of High Energy Physics · 2015-08-01 · 22 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  We study the stability of heterotic compactifications described by (0,2) gauged linear sigma models with respect to worldsheet instanton corrections to the space-time superpotential following the work of Beasley and Witten [1]. We show that generic models elude the vanishing theorem proved there, and may not determine supersymmetric heterotic vacua. We then construct a subclass of linear models for which a vanishing theorem holds, generating an extensive list of consistent heterotic backgrounds.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Geometry and Physics of String Compactifications

  NSF · $321k · 2012–2016

• Moduli Spaces of String Vacua with Four Supersymmetries

  NSF · $315k · 2015–2019

Frequent coauthors

• David R. Morrison

  University of California, Santa Barbara

  16 shared

• Marco Bertolini

  13 shared

• Ilarion V. Melnikov

  Carrier (United States)

  13 shared

• Paul S. Aspinwall

  10 shared

• Brian Greene

  Columbia University

  10 shared

• Philip C. Argyres

  4 shared

• Alfred D. Shapere

  University of Kentucky

  2 shared

• K. Narayan

  Chennai Mathematical Institute

  2 shared