Fermionic zero mode and string creation between D4-branes at angles

We study the creation of a fundamental string between D4-branes at angles in string theory. It is shown that R(-1)(F) part of the one-loop potential of open string changes its sign due to the change of fermionic zero-mode vacua when the branes cross each other. As a result the effective potential is independent of the angles when supersymmetry is partially unbroken, and leads to a consistent picture that a fundamental string is created in the process. We also discuss the s-rule in the configuration. The same result is obtained from the one-loop potential for the orthogonal D4-branes with non-zero field strength. The result is also confirmed from the tension obtained by deforming the Chern-Simons term on one D4-brane, which is induced by another tilted D4-brane. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.