Another Length Scale in String Theory?

Abstract

We suggest that some of the remarkable results on stringy dynamics which have been found recently indicate the existence of another dynamical length scale in string theory that, at weak coupling, is much shorter than the string scale. This additional scale corresponds to a mass $\sim m_{\rm s}/g_{\rm s}$ where $m_{\rm s}$ is the square root of the string tension and $g_{\rm s}$ is the string coupling constant. In four dimensions this coincides with the Planck mass.