Phase transitions in M-theory and F-theory

Phase transitions are studied in M-theory and F-theory. In M-theory compactification to five dimensions on a Calabi-Yau, one can find topology-changing transitions similar to those seen in conformal field theory, but the non-geometrical phases known in conformal field theory are absent. At boundaries of moduli space where such phases might have been expected, the moduli space ends, by a conventional or unconventional physical mechanism. The unconventional mechanisms, which roughly involve the appearance of tensionless strings, can sometimes be better understood in F-theory.