Related papers: Moduli in General $SU(3)$-Structure Heterotic Comp…
In this paper, we study moduli spaces of sextic curves with simple singularities. Through period maps of K3 surfaces with ADE singularities, we prove that such moduli spaces admit algebraic open embeddings into arithmetic quotients of type…
Summarizing the results of arXiv:0707.1038, we discuss the four-dimensional effective approach to type II N=1 supersymmetric flux compactifications with general SU(3)x SU(3)-structure. In particular, we study the effect of a non-trivial…
The characterization of a six- (or seven)-dimensional internal manifold with metric as having positive, zero or negative curvature is expected to be an important aspect of warped compactifications in supergravity. In this context, Douglas…
We formulate a ten-dimensional version of Kodaira-Spencer gravity on a Calabi-Yau five-fold that reproduces the classical Maurer-Cartan equation governing supersymmetric heterotic moduli. Quantising this theory's quadratic fluctuations, we…
Let $G$ be a Lie group, with an invariant non-degenerate symmetric bilinear form on its Lie algebra, let $\pi$ be the fundamental group of an orientable (real) surface $M$ with a finite number of punctures, and let $\bold C$ be a family of…
Configurations of two or more branes wrapping different homology cycles of space-time are considered and the amount of supersymmetry preserved is analysed, generalising the analysis of multiple branes in flat space. For K3…
The region of moduli space of string theories which is most likely to describe the "real world" is where the string coupling is about unity and the volume of extra compact dimensions is about the same size as the string volume. Here we map…
The nature of M-theory on K3 X I, where I is a line interval, is considered, with a view towards formulating a `matrix theory' representation of that situation. Various limits of this compactification of M-theory yield a number of well…
We study novel type IIB compactifications on the T^6/Z_2 orientifold. This geometry arises in the T-dual description of Type I theory on T^6, and one normally introduces 16 space-filling D3-branes to cancel the RR tadpoles. Here, we cancel…
We obtain smooth M-theory solutions whose geometry is a warped product of AdS_5 and a compact internal space that can be viewed as an S^4 bundle over S^2. The bundle can be trivial or twisted, depending on the even or odd values of the two…
We study warped compactifications to three dimensions, realized as an orientifold of type IIA string theory on T^7. By turning on 3- and 4-form fluxes on the torus in a supersymmetric way, we generate a potential for the moduli fields. We…
The stabilization of moduli is one of the main problems in string theory. In this talk I will discuss some stringy mechanisms based on non-geometrical compactifications to obtain four dimensional models with a reduced number of moduli.
A new two dimensional $\mathcal{N}=(0,2)$ Supersymmetric Non-Linear Sigma Model describes the dynamics of internal moduli of the BPS semi-local vortex string supported in four dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ SQED. While the core of these…
We discuss the four-dimensional N=1 effective approach in the study of warped type II flux compactifications with SU(3)x SU(3)-structure to AdS_4 or flat Minkowski space-time. The non-trivial warping makes it natural to use a supergravity…
We explore a relation between four-dimensional N=2 heterotic vacua induced by Mirror Symmetry via Heterotic/Type II duality. It allows us to compute the \alpha' corrections to the hypermultiplet moduli space of heterotic compactifications…
We compute the six-dimensional effective action of the heterotic string compactified on K3 for the standard embedding and for a class of backgrounds with line bundles and appropriate Yang-Mills fluxes. We compute the couplings of the…
The constraints imposed on heterotic compactifications by global consistency and phenomenology seem to be very finely balanced. We show that weakening these constraints, as was proposed in some recent works, is likely to lead to frivolous…
We construct a minimal example of a supersymmetric grand unified model in a toroidal compactification of type I string theory with magnetized D9-branes. All geometric moduli are stabilized in terms of the background internal magnetic fluxes…
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…
Orientifolds with three-form flux provide some of the simplest string examples of warped compactification. In this paper we show that some models of this type have the unusual feature of D=4, N=3 spacetime supersymmetry. We discuss their…