Geometry of open strings ending on backreacting D3-branes

Understand

We investigate open string theory on backreacting D3-branes using a spacetime approach.

• We study in detail the half-BPS supergravity solutions describing open strings ending on D3-branes, in the near horizon of the D3-branes.
• We recover quantitatively several non-trivial features of open string physics including the appearance of D3-brane spikes, the polarization of fundamental strings into D5-branes, and the Hanany-Witten effect.
• Finally we detail the computation of the gravitational potential between two open strings, and contrast it with the holographic computation of Wilson lines.