Related papers: Heterotic orbifold resolutions as (2,0) gauged lin…
We study orbifolds of two-dimensional topological field theories using defects. If the TFT arises as the twist of a superconformal field theory, we recover results on the Neveu-Schwarz and Ramond sectors of the orbifold theory as well as…
We study to what extent Wilson lines in heterotic Calabi-Yau compactifications lead to non-trivial H-flux via Chern-Simons terms. Wilson lines are basic ingredients for Standard Model constructions but their induced H-flux may affect the…
We report on the construction of four-dimensional string vacua by considering general abelian and non-abelian bundles on an internal Calabi-Yau for both heterotic theories. The structure of the resulting gauge sector is extremely rich and…
The gauging of isometries in general sigma-models which include fermionic terms which represent the interaction of strings with background Yang-Mills fields is considered. Gauging is possible only if certain obstructions are absent. The…
Phenomenological explorations of heterotic strings have conventionally focused primarily on the E8xE8 theory. We consider smooth compactifications of all three ten-dimensional heterotic theories to exhibit the many similarities between the…
Six-dimensional orbifold models where the Higgs field is identified with some internal component of a gauge field are considered. We classify all possible T^2/Z_N orbifold constructions based on a SU(3) electroweak gauge symmetry. Depending…
Localization properties of fields in compact extra dimensions are crucial ingredients for string model building, particularly in the framework of orbifold compactifications. Realistic models often require a slight deviation from the…
The particle spectrum of the supersymmetric extension of the standard model with a gauge singlet is studied. Soft supersymmetry breaking terms are explicitly chosen to be non-universal according to orbifold string theory. they depend on…
Among $T^7/\Gamma$ orbifold compactifications of $M$-theory, we examine models containing the particle physics Standard Model in four-dimensional spacetimes, which appear as fixed subspaces of the ten-dimensional spacetimes at each end of…
We construct supergravity solutions dual to the twisted field theories arising when M-theory membranes wrap holomorphic curves in Calabi-Yau n-folds. The solutions are constructed in an Abelian truncation of maximal D=4 gauged supergravity…
An N=1, d=4 supersymmetric compactification of the perturbative heterotic string is described by a d=2 (0,2) superconformal field theory. The first-order marginal deformations of the internal (0,2) SCFT are in 1 to 1 correspondence with…
We review efforts in string model building, focusing on the heterotic orbifold compactifications. We survey how one can, starting from an explicit string theory, obtain models which resemble Nature. These models exhibit the standard model…
We propose a construction of K\"ahler and non-K\"ahler Calabi-Yau manifolds by branched double covers of twistor spaces. In this construction we use the twistor spaces of four-manifolds with self-dual conformal structures, with the examples…
We consider a class of two dimensional conformal ${\mathcal N}=2$ supersymmetric $U(1)$ gauge linear sigma models with $N$ fields of charges $+1$ and $N$ fields of charges $-1$, whose Higgs branches are non-compact toric Calabi-Yau…
We calculate the weak scale MSSM spectrum starting from a heterotic string theory compactified on an anisotropic orbifold. Supersymmetry breaking is mediated by vector-like exotics that arise naturally in heterotic string theories. The…
We undertake a detailed study of the gaugings of two-dimensional Yang-Mills theory by its intrinsic charge conjugation 0-form and centre 1-form global symmetries, elucidating their higher algebraic and geometric structures, as well as the…
We consider heterotic target space dual (0,2) GLSMs on elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau manifolds. In this context, each half of the "dual" heterotic theories must in turn have an F-theory dual. Moreover, the apparent relationship between…
Using mirror symmetry, we resolve an old puzzle in the linear sigma model description of the spacetime Higgs mechanism in a heterotic string compactification with (2,2) worldsheet supersymmetry. The resolution has a nice spacetime…
We analyse various two dimensional theories arising from compactification of type II and heterotic string theory on asymmetric orbifolds. We find extra supersymmetry generators arising from twisted sectors, giving rise to exotic…
We construct D=11 supergravity solutions dual to the twisted field theories arising when M-theory fivebranes wrap supersymmetric cycles. The cases considered are M-fivebranes wrapped on (i) a complex Lagrangian four-cycle in a D=8…