Related papers: Three Looks at Instantons in F-theory -- New Insig…
We discuss E3-brane instantons in N=1 F-theory compactifications to four dimensions and clarify the structure of E3-E3 zero modes for general world-volume fluxes. We consistently incorporate SL(2,Z) monodromies and highlight the relation…
We study the moduli-dependent prefactor of M5-instanton corrections to the superpotential in four-dimensional F-theory compactifications. In light of the M-theory and type IIb limits and also heterotic duality, we propose that the explicit…
By fibering the duality between the $E_{8}\times E_{8}$ heterotic string on $T^{3}$ and M-theory on K3, we study heterotic duals of M-theory compactified on $G_{2}$ orbifolds of the form $T^{7}/\mathbb{Z}_{2}^{3}$. While the heterotic…
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…
The map between the moduli space of F-theory (or type II string) compactifications and heterotic string compactifications can be considerably simplified by using "stable degenerations". We discuss how this method applies to both the E8 x E8…
We study the combined effect of world-volume and background fluxes on Euclidean D3-brane instantons in F-theory compactifications. We derive an appropriate form of the fermionic effective action, in which the fermions are topologically…
We study the superpotential induced by Euclidean D3-brane instantons carrying instanton flux, with special emphasis on its significance for the stabilisation of Kahler moduli and Neveu-Schwarz axions in Type IIB orientifolds. Quite…
E3-instantons that generate non-perturbative superpotentials in IIB N=1 compactifications are more frequent than currently believed. Worldvolume fluxes will typically lift the E3-brane geometric moduli and their fermionic superpartners,…
We consider the gauge neutral matter in the low--energy effective action for string theory compactification on a \cym\ with $(2,2)$ world--sheet supersymmetry. At the classical level these states (the \sing's of $E_6$) correspond to the…
We consider non-perturbative superpotentials from world-sheet instantons wrapped on holomorphic genus zero curves in heterotic string theory. These superpotential contributions feature prominently in moduli stabilization and large field…
We revisit the issue of M5-brane instanton corrections to the superpotential in F-theory compactifications on elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau fourfolds. Elaborating on concrete geometries, we compare the instanton zero modes for…
We use open-closed string duality between F-theory on K3xK3 and type II strings on CY manifolds without branes to study non-perturbative superpotentials in generalized flux compactifications. On the F-theory side we obtain the full flux…
We analyze $M$-theory compactified on $(K3\times S^1)/Z_2$ where the $Z_2$ changes the sign of the three form gauge field, acts on $S^1$ as a parity transformation and on K3 as an involution with eight fixed points preserving SU(2)…
We use string field theory to fix the normalization of the D-instanton corrections to the superpotential involving the moduli fields of type II string theory compactified on an orientifold of a Calabi-Yau threefold in the absence of fluxes.…
We consider various aspects of compactifications of the Type I/heterotic $Spin(32)/\Z_2$ theory on K3. One family of such compactifications includes the standard embedding of the spin connection in the gauge group, and is on the same moduli…
The subspace of the moduli space of F-theory on K3 over which the coupling remains constant develops new branches at special values of this coupling. These values correspond to fixed points under the SL(2,Z) duality group of the type IIB…
We analyse the non-perturbative superpotential due to M5-brane instantons in F-theory compactifications on Calabi-Yau fourfolds. The M5 partition function is obtained via holomorphic factorisation by explicitly performing the sum over…
We consider heterotic string theories compactified on a K3 surface which lead to an unbroken perturbative gauge group of Spin(32)/Z2. All solutions obtained are combinations of two types of point-like instanton --- one ``simple type'' as…
We re-examine the question of heterotic - heterotic string duality in six dimensions and argue that the $E_8\times E_8$ heterotic string, compactified on $K3$ with equal instanton numbers in the two $E_8$'s, has a self-duality that inverts…
We analyze M5-instantons in F-theory, or equivalently D3-instantons with varying axio-dilaton, in the presence of 7-brane gauge groups. The chiral two-form on the M5-brane plays an important role, because it couples the M5-brane to vector…