Related papers: The $Spin(7)$-structures on complex line bundles a…
We give a new, connected-sum-like construction of Riemannian metrics with special holonomy G_2 on compact 7-manifolds. The construction is based on a gluing theorem for appropriate elliptic partial differential equations. As a prerequisite,…
We show that on every Spin(7) manifold there always exists a unique linear connection with totally skew-symmetric torsion preserving a nontrivial spinor and the Spin(7) structure. We express its torsion and the Riemannian scalar curvature…
We obtain a family of supersymmetric solutions of type IIB supergravity with dynamic SU(2) structure, which describe the local geometry near a stack of four D7-branes and one O7-plane wrapping a rigid four-cycle. The deformation to a…
We study mirror symmetry of type II strings on manifolds with the exceptional holonomy groups $G_2$ and Spin(7). Our central result is a construction of mirrors of Spin(7) manifolds realized as generalized connected sums. In parallel to…
We derive, for spacetimes admitting a Spin(7) structure, the general local bosonic solution of the Killing spinor equation of eleven dimensional supergravity. The metric, four form and Killing spinors are determined explicitly, up to an…
This is a survey paper. We explain the known constructions for two geometrically different classes of examples of compact Riemannian 7-manifolds with holonomy G2. One method uses resolutions of singularities of appropriately chosen…
We find new examples of compact Spin(7)-manifolds using a construction of Joyce. The essential ingredient in Joyce's construction is a Calabi-Yau 4-orbifold with particular singularities admitting an antiholomorphic involution, which fixes…
On a closed connected oriented manifold $M$ we study the space $\mathcal{M}_\|(M)$ of all Riemannian metrics which admit a non-zero parallel spinor on the universal covering. Such metrics are Ricci-flat, and all known Ricci-flat metrics are…
Let G be one of the Ricci-flat holonomy groups SU(n), Sp(n), Spin(7) or G_2, and M a compact manifold of dimension 2n, 4n, 8 or 7, respectively. We prove that the natural map from the moduli space of torsion-free G-structures on M to the…
We recall some basic aspects of line and line Complex representations, of symplectic symmetry emerging in bilinear point transformations as well as of Lie transfer of lines to spheres. Here, we identify SU(2) spin in terms of (classical)…
We study Ricci-flat metrics on non-compact manifolds with the exceptional holonomy $Spin(7), G_2$. We concentrate on the metrics which are defined on ${\bf R} \times G/H$. If the homogeneous coset spaces $G/H$ have weak $G_2$, SU(3)…
We initiate the geometric engineering of 2d $\mathcal{N}=(0,1)$ gauge theories on D1-branes probing singularities. To do so, we introduce a new class of backgrounds obtained as quotients of Calabi-Yau 4-folds by a combination of an…
We construct infinitely many seven-dimensional Einstein metrics of weak holonomy G_2. These metrics are defined on principal SO(3) bundles over four-dimensional Bianchi IX orbifolds with the Tod-Hitchin metrics. The Tod-Hitchin metric has…
We give a new example of a compact manifold with holonomy Spin(7) from a Beauville's Calabi-Yau fourfold. Its construction is very concrete, starting with products of elliptic curves with complex multiplications --- so probably more…
Associative submanifolds $A$ in nearly parallel $G_2$-manifolds $Y$ are minimal 3-submanifolds in spin 7-manifolds with a real Killing spinor. The Riemannian cone over $Y$ has the holonomy group contained in ${\rm Spin(7)}$ and the…
We classify $7$-dimensional Riemannian manifolds carrying a metric connection with parallel skew-symmetric torsion whose holonomy is contained in $\mathrm{G}_2$, up to naturally reductive homogeneous spaces and nearly parallel…
We construct a family-unified model on a Z_2xZ_2 orbifold in five dimensions. The model is based on a supersymmetric SU(7) gauge theory. The gauge group is broken by orbifold boundary conditions to a product of grand unified SU(5) and…
We study the gradient flow of Spin($7$)-structures and construct the first explicit solutions, in the homogeneous setting. As an intermediate step, we obtain formulae expressing the Spin($7$)-torsion tensor and gradient flow in terms of the…
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…
Using a method introduced by Hitchin we obtain the system of first order differential equations that determine the most general cohomogeniety one G_2 holonomy metric with S^3 \times S^3 principal orbits. The method is then applied to G_2…