The Heterotic Life of the D-Particle

Abstract

We study the dynamics of D-particles (D0-branes) in type I' string theory and of the corresponding states in the dual heterotic description. We account for the presence of the two eight-orientifolds (eight-dimensional orientifold planes) and sixteen D8-branes by deriving the appropriate quantum mechanical system. We recover the familiar condition of eight D8-branes for each eight-orientifold. We investigate bound states and compute the phase shifts for the scattering of such states and find that they agree with the expectations from the supergravity action. In the type I' regime we study the motion transverse to the eight-orientifold and find an interesting cancellation effect.