Related papers: Hitchin's Equations and M-Theory Phenomenology
M-theory compactified on $G_2$-holonomy manifolds results in 4d $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric gauge theories coupled to gravity. In this paper we focus on the gauge sector of such compactifications by studying the Higgs bundle obtained…
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…
M-theory on local $G_2$-manifolds engineers 4d minimally supersymmetric gauge theories. We consider ALE-fibered $G_2$-manifolds and study the 4d physics from the view point of a partially twisted 7d supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory and its…
We study the physics of globally consistent four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric M-theory compactifications on $G_2$ manifolds constructed via twisted connected sum; there are now perhaps fifty million examples of these…
M theory compactifications on G_2 holonomy manifolds, whilst supersymmetric, require singularities in order to obtain non-Abelian gauge groups, chiral fermions and other properties necessary for a realistic model of particle physics. We…
This diploma thesis has three major objectives. Firstly, we give an elementary introduction to M-theory compactifications, which are obtained from an analysis of its low-energy effective theory, eleven-dimensional supergravity. In…
String phenomenology is the branch of string theory concerned with making contact with particle physics. The original models involved compactifying ten-dimensional supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory on an internal Calabi-Yau three-fold. In…
Compactification of M- / string theory on manifolds with $G_2$ structure yields a wide variety of 4D and 3D physical theories. We analyze the local geometry of such compactifications as captured by a gauge theory obtained from a…
The mathematical features of a string theory compactification determine the physics of the effective four-dimensional theory. For this reason, understanding the mathematical structure of the possible compactification spaces is of profound…
We discuss N=2 supersymmetric compactifications to four dimensions from the point of view of F-theory and heterotic theory. In a relatively simple setup, we illustrate the spectral theory for vector bundles on K3xT^2 and discuss the…
Higgs bundles are a central tool used to study a range of intersecting brane systems in string compactifications. Solutions to the internal gauge theory equations of motion for the corresponding worldvolume theories of branes give rise to…
F-theory admits 7-branes with exceptional gauge symmetries, which can be compactified to give phenomenological four-dimensional GUT models. Here we study general supersymmetric compactifications of eight-dimensional Yang-Mills theory. They…
Seven-manifolds of G_2 holonomy provide a bridge between M-theory and string theory, via Kaluza-Klein reduction to Calabi-Yau six-manifolds. We find first-order equations for a new family of G_2 metrics D_7, with S^3\times S^3 principal…
We consider non perturbative effects in M-theory compactifications on a seven-manifold of G_2 holonomy arising from membranes wrapped on supersymmetric three-cycles. When membranes are wrapped on associative submanifolds they induce a…
In this paper we study M-theory compactifications on manifolds of G2 structure. By computing the gravitino mass term in four dimensions we derive the general form for the superpotential which appears in such compactifications and show that…
We introduce a notion of topological M-theory and argue that it provides a unification of form theories of gravity in various dimensions. Its classical solutions involve G_2 holonomy metrics on 7-manifolds, obtained from a topological…
While M- and F-theory compactifications describe a much larger class of vacua than perturbative string compactifications, they typically need singularities to generate non-abelian gauge fields and charged matter. The physical explanation…
Using D2-brane probes, we study various properties of M-theory on singular, non-compact manifolds of G_2 and Spin(7) holonomy. We derive mirror pairs of N=1 supersymmetric three-dimensional gauge theories, and apply this technique to…
We study M-theory on two classes of manifolds of Spin(7) holonomy that are developing an isolated conical singularity. We construct explicitly a new class of Spin(7) manifolds and analyse in detail the topology of the corresponding…
We investigate nonperturbative effects in M-theory compactifications arising from wrapped membranes. In particular, we show that in $d=4, \mathcal{N}=1$ compactifications along manifolds of $G_2$ holonomy, membranes wrapped on rigid…