Noncommutative Open String Theories and Their Dualities

The recently found non-critical open string theories is reviewed. These open strings, noncommutative open string theories (NCOS), arise as consistent quantum theories describing the low energy theory of D-branes in a background electric B-field in the critical limit. Focusing on the D3-brane case, we construct the most general (3+1) NCOS, which is described by four parameters. We study S and T -dualities of these theories and argue the existence of a U-duality group.