Compactifications of F-theory on Calabi-Yau threefolds (II)

We continue our study of compactifications of F-theory on Calabi-Yau threefolds. We gain more insight into F-theory duals of heterotic strings and provide a recipe for building F-theory duals for arbitrary heterotic compactifications on elliptically fibered manifolds. As a byproduct we find that string/string duality in six dimensions gets mapped to fiber/base exchange in F-theory. We also construct a number of new N = 1, d = 6 examples of F-theory vacua and study transitions among them. We find that some of these transition points correspond upon further compactification to 4 dimensions to transitions through analogues of Argyres-Douglas points of N = 2 moduli. A key idea in these transitions is the notion of classifying (0,4) fivebranes of heterotic strings.     

F-theory,T-duality on K3 surfaces,and N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theories in four dimensions

We construct T-duality on K3 surfaces. The T-duality exchanges a 4-brane RR charge and a 0-brane RR charge. We study the action of the T-duality on the moduli space of 0-branes located at points of K3 and 4-branes wrapping it. We apply the construction to F-theory compactified on a Calabi-Yau 4-fold and study the duality of N = 2 SU(N_c) gauge theories in four dimensions. We discuss the generalization to the N = 1 duality scenario.     

Low-energy analysis of M- and F-theories on Calabi-Yau threefolds

We elucidate the interplay between gauge and supersymmetry anomalies in six-dimensional N = 1 supergravity with generalized couplings between tensor and vector multiplets. We derive the structure of the five-dimensional supergravity resulting from the S₁ reduction of these models and give the constraints on Chem-Simons couplings that follow from duality to M-theory compactified on a Calabi-Yau threefold. The duality is supported only on a restricted class of Calabi-Yau threefolds and requires a special type of intersection form. We derive five-dimensional central-charge formulas and briefly discuss the associated phase transitions. Finally, we exhibit connections with F-theory compactifications on Calabi-Yau manifolds that admit elliptic fibrations. This analysis suggests that F-theory unifies type-IIb three-branes and M-theory five-branes.     

Classifying bases for 6D F-theory models

We classify six-dimensional F-theory compactifications in terms of simple features of the divisor structure of the base surface of the elliptic fibration. This structure controls the minimal spectrum of the theory. We determine all irreducible configurations of divisors (??clusters??) that are required to carry nonabelian gauge group factors based on the intersections of the divisors with one another and with the canonical class of the base. All 6D F-theory models are built from combinations of these irreducible configurations. Physically, this geometric structure characterizes the gauge algebra and matter that can remain in a 6D theory after maximal Higgsing. These results suggest that all 6D supergravity theories realized in F-theory have a maximally Higgsed phase in which the gauge algebra is built out of summands of the types su(3), so(8), f₄, e₆, e₈, e₈, (g₂ ?? su(2)); and su(2) ?? so(7) ?? su(2), with minimal matter content charged only under the last three types of summands, corresponding to the non-Higgsable cluster types identified through F-theory geometry. Although we have identified all such geometric clusters, we have not proven that there cannot be an obstruction to Higgsing to the minimal gauge and matter configuration for any possible F-theory model. We also identify bounds on the number of tensor fields allowed in a theory with any fixed gauge algebra; we use this to bound the size of the gauge group (or algebra) in a simple class of F-theory bases.     

Holonomy Groups Coming from F-Theory Compactification

We study holonomy groups coming from F-theory compactifications. We focus mainly on SO(8) as 12−4=8 and subgroups SU(4), Spin(7), G ₂ and SU(3) suitable for descent from F-theory, M-theory and Superstring theories. We consider the relation of these groups with the octonions, which is striking and reinforces their role in higher dimensions and dualities. These holonomy groups are related in various mathematical forms, which we exhibit.     

A superstring model of four generations

We construct a possibly realistic four-generation Calabi-Yau manifold by dividing the algebraic variety in CP₄ × CP₄ with the Z₂×Z₂ symmetry. The nontrivial embedding of Z₂×Z₂ in E(6) allows physically intriguing intermediate symmetry based on the U(1)×SU(2)_L×SU(2)_R×SU(4)_C group. Also, the group of honest symmetries G_H of the manifold is identified.     

Betti Numbers of a Class of Barely <Emphasis Type="Italic">G</Emphasis><Subscript>2</Subscript> Manifolds

We calculate explicitly the Betti numbers of a class of barely G ₂ manifolds - that is, G ₂ manifolds that are realised as a product of a Calabi-Yau manifold and a circle, modulo an involution. The particular class which we consider are those spaces where the Calabi-Yau manifolds are complete intersections of hypersurfaces in products of complex projective spaces from which they inherit all their (1, 1)-cohomology and the involutions are free acting.     

F-theory grand unification at the colliders

We predict the exact gaugino mass relation near the electroweak scale at one loop for gravity mediated supersymmetry breaking in F-theory SU(5) and SO(10) models with UY(1) and U(1)_B−L fluxes, respectively. The gaugino mass relation introduced here differs from the typical gaugino mass relations studied thus far, and in general, should be preserved quite well at low energy. Therefore, these F-theory models can be tested at the Large Hadron Collider and future International Linear Collider. We present two typical scenarios that satisfy all the latest experimental constraints and are consistent with the CDMS II experiment. In particular, the gaugino mass relation is indeed satisfied at two-loop level with only a very small deviation around the electroweak scale.     

The elliptic genus of Calabi-Yau 3- and 4-folds,product formulae and generalized Kac-Moody algebras

In this paper the elliptic genus for a general Calabi-Yau 4-fold is derived. The recent work of Kawai calculating N = 2 heterotic string one-loop threshold corrections with a Wilson line turned on is extended to a similar computation where K3 is replaced by a general Calabi-Yau 3- or 4-fold. In all cases there seems to be a generalized Kac-Moody algebra involved, whose denominator formula appears in the result.     

Conifold transitions and mirror symmetry for Calabi-Yau complete intersections in Grassmannians

In this paper we show that conifold transitions between Calabi-Yau 3-folds can be used for the construction of mirror manifolds and for the computation of the instanton numbers of rational curves on complete intersection Calabi-Yau 3-folds in Grassmannians. Using a natural degeneration of Grassmannians G(k, n) to some Gorenstein toric Fano varieties P(k, n) with conifolds singularities which was recently described by Sturmfels, we suggest an explicit mirror construction for Calabi-Yau complete intersections X ⊂ G(k, n) of arbitrary dimension. Our mirror construction is consistent with the formula for the Lax operator conjectured by Eguchi, Hori and Xiong for gravitational quantum cohomology of Grassmannians.     

Searching for K3 fibrations

We present two methods for studying fibrations of Calabi-Yau manifolds embedded in toric varieties described by single weight systems. We analyze 184 026 such spaces and identify among them the 124 701 which are K3 fibrations. As some of the weights give rise to two or three distinct types of fibrations, the total number we find is 167 406. With our methods one can also study elliptic fibrations of 3-folds and K3 surfaces. We also calculate the Hodge numbers of the 3-folds obtaining more than three times as many as were previously known.     

Vector Bundles and F Theory

To understand in detail duality between heterotic string and F theory compactifications, it is important to understand the construction of holomorphic G bundles over elliptic Calabi-Yau manifolds, for various groups G. In this paper, we develop techniques to describe these bundles, and make several detailed comparisons between the heterotic string and F theory. Received: 6 February 1997 / Accepted: 29 May 1997     

Chiral de Rham Complex on Riemannian Manifolds and Special Holonomy

Interpreting the chiral de Rham complex (CDR) as a formal Hamiltonian quantization of the supersymmetric non-linear sigma model, we suggest a setup for the study of CDR on manifolds with special holonomy. We show how to systematically construct global sections of CDR from differential forms, and investigate the algebra of the sections corresponding to the covariantly constant forms associated with the special holonomy. As a concrete example, we construct two commuting copies of the Odake algebra (an extension of the N = 2 superconformal algebra) on the space of global sections of CDR of a Calabi-Yau threefold and conjecture similar results for G ₂ manifolds. We also discuss quasi-classical limits of these algebras.     

Quantum many-body problems and perturbation theory

We show that the existence of algebraic forms of exactly solvable A-B-C-D, G ₂, and F ₄ Olshanetsky-Perelomov Hamiltonians allows one to develop algebraic perturbation theory, where corrections are computed by purely algebraic means. A classification of perturbations leading to such a perturbation theory based on the theory of representations of Lie algebras is given. In particular, this scheme admits an explicit study of anharmonic many-body problems. Some examples are presented.     

Mirror Map as Generating Function of Intersection Numbers: Toric Manifolds with Two Kähler Forms

In this paper, we extend our geometrical derivation of the expansion coefficients of mirror maps by localization computation to the case of toric manifolds with two Kähler forms. In particular, we consider Hirzebruch surfaces F ₀, F ₃ and Calabi-Yau hypersurface in weighted projective space P(1, 1, 2, 2, 2) as examples. We expect that our results can be easily generalized to arbitrary toric manifolds.