Related papers: New half supersymmetric solutions of the heterotic…
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…
We compute explicitly the first-order in $\alpha'$ corrections to a family of solutions of the Heterotic Superstring effective action that describes fundamental strings with momentum along themselves, parallel to solitonic 5-branes with…
We construct heterotic string backgrounds corresponding to families of homogeneous spaces as exact conformal field theories. They contain left cosets of compact groups by their maximal tori supported by NS-NS 2-forms and gauge field fluxes.…
We consider holographic RG flow solutions with eight supersymmetries and study the geometry transverse to the brane. For both M2-branes and for D3-branes in F-theory this leads to an eight-manifold with only a four-form flux. In both…
We obtain regular deformed D2-brane solutions with fractional D2-branes arising as wrapped D4-branes. The space transverse to the D2-brane is a complete Ricci-flat 7-manifold of G_2 holonomy, which is asymptotically conical with principal…
It is shown that an alternative supersymmetric version of the Liouville equation extracted from D=3 Green-Schwarz superstring equations naturally arises as a super-Toda model obtained from a properly constrained supersymmetric WZNW theory…
We investigate hetrotic string theory on special holonomy manifolds including exceptional holonomy G_2 and Spin(7) manifolds. The gauge symmetry is F_4 in a G_2 manifold compactification, and so(9) in a Spin(7) manifold compactification. We…
We show that the supersymmetric near horizon geometry of heterotic black holes is either an AdS_3 fibration over a 7-dimensional manifold which admits a G_2 structure compatible with a connection with skew-symmetric torsion, or it is a…
We review the theory and phenomenology of effective supergravity theories based on orbifold compactifications of the weakly-coupled heterotic string. In particular, we consider theories in which the four-dimensional theory displays target…
We present a novel supersymmetric solution to a nonlinear sigma model coupled to supergravity. The solution represents a static, supersymmetric, codimension-two object, which is different to the familiar cosmic strings. In particular, we…
Families of exact $(0,2)$ supersymmetric conformal field theories of magnetically and electrically charged extremal 4D black hole solutions of heterotic string theory are presented. They are constructed using a $(0,1)$ supersymmetric…
The evidence for neutrino masses in atmospheric and solar neutrino experiments provides further support for the embedding of the Standard Model fermions in the chiral 16 SO(10) representation. Such an embedding is afforded by the realistic…
A review of orbifold geometry is given, followed by a review of the construction of four-dimensional heterotic string models by compactification on a six-dimensional Z_3 orbifold. Particular attention is given to the details of the…
We present NS1+NS5-brane solutions of heterotic supergravity on curved geometries. They interpolate between a near horizon AdS3 x X^k x T^{7-k} region and R^{1,1} x c(X^k) x T^{7-k}, where X^k (with k = 3,5,6,7) is a k-dimensional geometric…
We consider the octonionic self-duality equations on eight-dimensional manifolds of the form $M_8=M_4\times \R^4$, where $M_4$ is a hyper-K\"ahler four-manifold. We construct explicit solutions to these equations and their symmetry…
Supersymmetric solutions of supergravity theories, and consequently metrics with special holonomy, have played an important role in the development of string theory. We describe how a Lorentzian manifold is either completely reducible, and…
Requiring that supersymmetric SU(5) and SU(6) grand unifications in the heterotic string theory must have 3 chiral families, adjoint (or higher representation) Higgs fields in the grand unifiedgauge group, and a non-abelian hidden sector,…
We present solutions of the low-energy four-dimensional heterotic string corresponding to $p$-branes with $p=0,1,2$, which are characterized by a mass per unit $p$-volume, ${\cal M}_{p+1}$, and topological ``magnetic'' charge, $g_{p+1}$. In…
We discuss the mathematical properties of six--dimensional non--K\"ahler manifolds which occur in the context of ${\cal N}=1$ supersymmetric heterotic and type IIA string compactifications with non--vanishing background H--field. The…
In the framework of the four-dimensional effective theory of heterotic superstrings at low energies, which is considered as a generalised theory of gravity, we search for new black hole solutions. The analytical expressions of all the…