55938268
T-branes and geometry
A bstractT-branes are a non-abelian generalization of intersecting branes in which the matrix of normal deformations is nilpotent along some subspace. In this paper we study the geometric remnant of this open string data for six-dimensional F-theory vacua. We show that in the dual M-theory / IIA compactification on a smooth Calabi-Yau threefold Xsmth, the geometric remnant of T-brane data translates to periods of the three-form potential valued in the intermediate Jacobian of Xsmth. Starting from a smoothing of a singular Calabi-Yau, we show how to track this data in singular limits using the theory of limiting mixed Hodge structures, which in turn directly points to an emergent Hitchin-like system coupled to defects. We argue that the physical data of an F-theory compactification on a singular threefold involves specifying both a geometry as well as the remnant of three-form potential moduli and flux which is localized on the discriminant. We give examples of T-branes in compact F-theory models with heterotic duals, and comment on the extension of our results to four-dimensional vacua.
18073631
A Comprehensive Scan for Heterotic SU(5) GUT models
A bstractCompactifications of heterotic theories on smooth Calabi-Yau manifolds remain one of the most promising approaches to string phenomenology. In two previous papers, arXiv:1106.4804 and arXiv:1202.1757, large classes of such vacua were constructed, using sums of line bundles over complete intersection Calabi-Yau manifolds in products of projective spaces that admit smooth quotients by finite groups. A total of 1012 different vector bundles were investigated which led to 202 SU(5) Grand Unified Theory (GUT) models. With the addition of Wilson lines, these in turn led, by a conservative counting, to 2122 heterotic standard models. In the present paper, we extend the scope of this programme and perform an exhaustive scan over the same class of models. A total of 1040 vector bundles are analysed leading to 35, 000 SU(5) GUT models. All of these compactifications have the right field content to induce low-energy models with the matter spectrum of the supersymmetric standard model, with no exotics of any kind. The detailed analysis of the resulting vast number of heterotic standard models is a substantial and ongoing task in computational algebraic geometry.
10633484
Stabilizing all geometric moduli in heterotic Calabi-Yau vacua
We propose a scenario to stabilize all geometric moduli - that is, the complex structure, Kahler moduli and the dilaton - in smooth heterotic Calabi-Yau compactifications without Neveu-Schwarz three-form flux. This is accomplished using the gauge bundle required in any heterotic compactification, whose perturbative effects on the moduli are combined with non-perturbative corrections. We argue that, for appropriate gauge bundles, all complex structure and a large number of other moduli can be perturbatively stabilized - in the most restrictive case, leaving only one combination of Kahler moduli and the dilaton as a flat direction. At this stage, the remaining moduli space consists of Minkowski vacua. That is, the perturbative superpotential vanishes in the vacuum without the necessity to fine-tune flux. Finally, we incorporate non-perturbative effects such as gaugino condensation and/or instantons. These are strongly constrained by the anomalous U(1) symmetries which arise from the required bundle constructions. We present a specific example, with a consistent choice of non-perturbative effects, where all remaining flat directions are stabilized in an AdS vacuum.
15446508
Geometric constraints in dual F-theory and heterotic string compactifications
A bstractWe systematically analyze a broad class of dual heterotic and F-theory models that give four-dimensional supergravity theories, and compare the geometric constraints on the two sides of the duality. Specifically, we give a complete classification of models where the heterotic theory is compactified on a smooth Calabi-Yau threefold that is elliptically fibered with a single section and carries smooth irreducible vector bundles, and the dual F-theory model has a corresponding threefold base that has the form of a ℙ1 bundle. We formulate simple conditions for the geometry on the F-theory side to support an elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau fourfold. We match these conditions with conditions for the existence of stable vector bundles on the heterotic side, and show that F-theory gives new insight into the conditions under which such bundles can be constructed. In particular, we find that many allowed F-theory models correspond to vector bundles on the heterotic side with exceptional structure groups, and determine a topological condition that is only satisfied for bundles of this type. We show that in many cases the F-theory geometry imposes a constraint on the extent to which the gauge group can be enhanced, corresponding to limits on the way in which the heterotic bundle can decompose. We explicitly construct all (4962) F-theory threefold bases for dual F-theory/heterotic constructions in the subset of models where the common twofold base surface is toric, and give both toric and non-toric examples of the general results.
119109099
M-theory on the orbifold C**2/Z(N)
We construct M theory on the orbifold C{sup 2}/Z{sub N} by coupling 11-dimensional supergravity to a seven-dimensional Yang-Mills theory located on the orbifold fixed plane. It is shown that the resulting action is supersymmetric to leading nontrivial order in the 11-dimensional Newton constant. This action provides the starting point for a reduction of M theory on G{sub 2} spaces with codimension four singularities.
118219222
Heterotic and M-theory Compactifications for String Phenomenology
In this thesis, we explore two approaches to string phenomenology. In the first half of the work, we investigate M-theory compactifications on spaces with co-dimension four, orbifold singularities. We construct M-theory on C^2/Z_N by coupling 11-dimensional supergravity to a seven-dimensional Yang-Mills theory located on the orbifold fixed-plane. The resulting action is supersymmetric to leading non-trivial order in the 11-dim Newton constant. We thereby reduce M-theory on a G2 orbifold with C^2/Z_N singularities, explicitly incorporating the additional gauge fields at the singularities. We derive the Kahler potential, gauge-kinetic function and superpotential for the resulting N=1 four-dimensional theory. Blowing-up of the orbifold is described by a Higgs effect and the results are consistent with the corresponding ones obtained for smooth G2 spaces. Further, we consider flux and Wilson lines on singular loci of the G2 space, and discuss the relation to N=4 SYM theory. 
In the second half, we develop an algorithmic framework for E8 x E8 heterotic compactifications with monad bundles. We begin by considering cyclic Calabi-Yau manifolds where we classify positive monad bundles, prove stability, and compute the complete particle spectrum for all bundles. Next, we generalize the construction to bundles on complete intersection Calabi-Yau manifolds. We show that the class of positive monad bundles, subject to the heterotic anomaly condition, is finite (~7000 models). We compute the particle spectrum for these models and develop new techniques for computing the cohomology of line bundles. There are no anti-generations of particles and the spectrum is manifestly moduli-dependent. We further study the slope-stability of positive monad bundles and develop a new method for proving stability of SU(n) vector bundles.
11114965
The trouble with twisting (2,0) theory
A bstractWe consider a twisted version of the abelian (2, 0) theory placed upon a Lorentzian six-manifold with a product structure, M6 = C × M4. This is done by an investigation of the free tensor multiplet on the level of equations of motion, where the problem of its formulation in Euclidean signature is circumvented by letting the time-like direction lie in the two-manifold C and performing a topological twist along M4 alone. A compactification on C is shown to be necessary to enable the possibility of finding a topological field theory. The hypothetical twist along a Euclidean C is argued to amount to the correct choice of linear combination of the two supercharges scalar on M4. This procedure is expected and conjectured to result in a topological field theory, but we arrive at the surprising conclusion that this twisted theory contains no Q-exact and covariantly conserved stress tensor unless M4 has vanishing curvature. This is to our knowledge a phenomenon which has not been observed before in topological field theories. In the literature, the setup of the twisting used here has been suggested as the origin of the conjectured AGT-correspondence, and our hope is that this work may somehow contribute to the understanding of it.
56379301
Five-dimensional topologically twisted maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory
A bstractHerein, we consider a topologically twisted version of maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory in five dimensions which was introduced by Witten in 2011. We consider this theory on a five manifold of the form M4 × I for M4 an oriented Riemannian four manifold. The complete and unique action of the theory in bulk is written down and is shown to be invariant under two scalar supersymmetries.