Open strings in type IIB AdS3 flux vacua

A bstract The role of open strings is investigated in the context of AdS 3 flux vacua arising from type IIB orientifold reductions. On the one hand, contrary to expectations, the perturbative stability of certain recently found non-supersymmetric AdS 3 flux vacua is shown to be robust under fluctuations of the open-string moduli. On the other hand, a wealth of new perturbatively stable AdS 3 flux vacua appears as a consequence of the non-trivial dynamics of open-string moduli. We also comment on the issue of scale separation in these AdS 3 flux vacua.