The Problem of the Stabilization of the Dilaton in String Theories

Abstract

The crucial problem of how the dilaton field is stabilized at a phenomenologically acceptable value in string theories remains essentially unsolved. We show that the usual scenario of assuming that the dilaton is fixed by the (SUSY breaking) dynamics of just the dilaton itself (dilaton dominance scenario) is {\em inconsistent} unless the K\"ahler potential receives very important perturbative or non-perturbative contributions. Then, the usual predictions about soft breaking terms are lost, but still is possible to derive model-independent predictions for them.