K-theory and Ramond-Ramond charge

Abstract

We discuss the relation between the Ramond-Ramond charges of D-branes and the topology of Chan-Paton vector bundles. We show that a topologically nontrivial normal bundle induces RR charge and that the result fits in perfectly with the proposal that D-brane charge is the topology of the Chan-Paton bundle, regarded as an element of K-theory.

8 pages, harvmac. Partial retraction of the partial retraction, as explained in note added