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The second superstring revolution was the intense wave of breakthroughs in string theory
String theory

String theory is a developing branch of theoretical physics that combines quantum mechanics and general relativity into a quantum gravity. The String s of string theory are one-dimensional oscillating lines, but they are no longer considered fundamental to the theory, which can be formulated in terms of points or surfaces too....
 that took place approximately between 1994 and 1997.

The different versions of superstring theory
Superstring theory

Superstring theory is an attempt to explain all of the Elementary particle and fundamental forces of nature in one theory by modelling them as vibrations of tiny supersymmetry strings....
 were unified, as long hoped, by new equivalences. These are known as S-duality
S-duality

In theoretical physics, S-duality is an equivalence of two quantum field theory, string theory, or M-theory. An S-duality transformation maps the states and vacua with coupling constant in one theory to states and vacua with coupling constant in the dual theory....
, T-duality
T-duality

T-duality is a symmetry of string theory relating small and large distances. T-duality is not present in ordinary particle theory, indicating that strings experience spacetime in a way that is fundamentally distinct than the way particles do....
, U-duality
U-duality

U-duality is a symmetry of string theory or M-theory combining S-duality and T-duality transformations. The term is most often met in the context of the "U-duality group" of M-theory as defined on a particular background space ....
, mirror symmetry
Mirror symmetry

In physics and mathematics, mirror symmetry is a relation that can exist between two Calabi-Yau manifolds. It happens, usually for two such six-dimensional manifolds, that the shapes may look very different geometrically, but nevertheless they are equivalent if they are employed as hidden dimensions of string theory....
, and conifold
Conifold

In mathematics, a conifold is a generalization of a manifold. Unlike manifolds, conifolds can contain conical singularities i.e. points whose neighbourhoods look like cone over a certain base....
 transitions. The different theories of strings were also connected to a new 11-dimensional theory called M-theory
M-theory

In theoretical physics, M-theory is a new limit of string theory in which 11 dimensions of spacetime may be identified. Because the dimensionality exceeds the dimensionality of five superstring theories in 10 dimensions, it was originally believed that the 11-dimensional theory is more fundamental and unifies all string theories ....
.

New objects called branes were discovered as inevitable ingredients of string theory.






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The second superstring revolution was the intense wave of breakthroughs in string theory
String theory

String theory is a developing branch of theoretical physics that combines quantum mechanics and general relativity into a quantum gravity. The String s of string theory are one-dimensional oscillating lines, but they are no longer considered fundamental to the theory, which can be formulated in terms of points or surfaces too....
 that took place approximately between 1994 and 1997.

The different versions of superstring theory
Superstring theory

Superstring theory is an attempt to explain all of the Elementary particle and fundamental forces of nature in one theory by modelling them as vibrations of tiny supersymmetry strings....
 were unified, as long hoped, by new equivalences. These are known as S-duality
S-duality

In theoretical physics, S-duality is an equivalence of two quantum field theory, string theory, or M-theory. An S-duality transformation maps the states and vacua with coupling constant in one theory to states and vacua with coupling constant in the dual theory....
, T-duality
T-duality

T-duality is a symmetry of string theory relating small and large distances. T-duality is not present in ordinary particle theory, indicating that strings experience spacetime in a way that is fundamentally distinct than the way particles do....
, U-duality
U-duality

U-duality is a symmetry of string theory or M-theory combining S-duality and T-duality transformations. The term is most often met in the context of the "U-duality group" of M-theory as defined on a particular background space ....
, mirror symmetry
Mirror symmetry

In physics and mathematics, mirror symmetry is a relation that can exist between two Calabi-Yau manifolds. It happens, usually for two such six-dimensional manifolds, that the shapes may look very different geometrically, but nevertheless they are equivalent if they are employed as hidden dimensions of string theory....
, and conifold
Conifold

In mathematics, a conifold is a generalization of a manifold. Unlike manifolds, conifolds can contain conical singularities i.e. points whose neighbourhoods look like cone over a certain base....
 transitions. The different theories of strings were also connected to a new 11-dimensional theory called M-theory
M-theory

In theoretical physics, M-theory is a new limit of string theory in which 11 dimensions of spacetime may be identified. Because the dimensionality exceeds the dimensionality of five superstring theories in 10 dimensions, it was originally believed that the 11-dimensional theory is more fundamental and unifies all string theories ....
.

New objects called branes were discovered as inevitable ingredients of string theory. Their analysis - especially the analysis of a special type of branes called D-branes - led to the AdS/CFT correspondence, the microscopic understanding of the thermodynamic properties of black holes, and many other developments.

See also

  • First superstring revolution
    First superstring revolution

    In physics, the first superstring revolution is a period of important discoveries in string theory roughly between 1984 and 1986. It was realised that string theory was capable of describing all elementary particles as well as the fundamental interactions between them....