Related papers: On $\alpha'$-effects from $D$-branes in $4d \; \ma…
We study D-brane moduli spaces and tachyon condensation in B-type topological minimal models and their massive deformations. We show that any B-type brane is isomorphic with a direct sum of `minimal' branes, and that its moduli space is…
We consider D-branes at orientifold singularities and discuss two properties of the corresponding low energy four-dimensional effective theories which are not shared, generically, by other Calabi-Yau singularities. The first property is…
We review several aspects of heterotic, type II, F-theory, and M-theory compactifications on Calabi-Yau threefolds and fourfolds. In the context of dualities we focus on the heterotic gauge structure determined by the various types of…
We provide the last missing piece of the complete non-perturbative description of the low energy effective action emerging from Calabi-Yau compactifications of type II string theory --- NS5-brane instanton corrections to the hypermultiplet…
The presence of RR and NS three-form fluxes in type IIB string compactification on a Calabi-Yau orientifold gives rise to a nontrivial superpotential W for the dilaton and complex structure moduli. This superpotential is computable in terms…
We consider two simple examples of multi-instanton configurations in type II 4d N=1 superstring compactifications. The first one involves O(1) and U(1) D2-instantons embedded in T^6/(Z_2 x Z_2') geometry with SU(4) gauge symmetry coming…
We present orientifold models of type IIA string theory with D8-branes compactified on a two torus times a four dimensional orbifold. The orientifold group is chosen such that one coordinate of the two torus is reversed when applying…
We perform a Kaluza-Klein reduction of IIB supergravity including purely gravitational $\alpha '^3$-corrections on a Calabi-Yau threefold, and perform the orientifold projection accounting for the presence of $O3/O7$-planes. We consider…
The study of the geometry of Calabi-Yau fourfolds is relevant for compactifications of string theory, M-theory, and F-theory to various dimensions. In the first part of this thesis, we study the action of mirror symmetry on two-dimensional…
We study D-branes in N=1 flux compactifications to AdS_4. We derive their supersymmetry conditions and express them in terms of background generalized calibrations. Basically because AdS has a boundary, the analysis of stability is more…
Superstring theories are the most promising theories for unified description of all fundamental interactions including gravity. However, these theories are formulated consistently only in 10 spacetime dimensions. Therefore, to connect to…
We study limits of infinite distance in the moduli space of 4d $\mathcal{N} = 2$ string compactifications, in which instanton effects dominate. We first consider trajectories in the hypermultiplet moduli space of type IIB Calabi-Yau…
We construct compact type IIB orientifolds with discrete groups Z_4, Z_6, Z_6', Z_8, Z_12 and Z_12'. These models are N=1 supersymmetric in D=4 and have vector structure. The possibility of having vector structure in Z_N orientifolds with…
The properties of the effective scalar potential are studied in the framework of type IIB string theory, taking into account perturbative and non-perturbative corrections. The former modify the K\"ahler potential and include $\alpha'$ and…
We study moduli stabilization for type IIB orientifold compactifications on Calabi-Yau three-folds with (non-)geometric fluxes. For this setting it is possible to stabilize all closed-string moduli classically without the need for…
We determine torsion class constraints for the supergravity background produced by D6-branes wrapping special Lagrangian cycles in a Calabi-Yau 3-fold. We employ a recently introduced method which involves probing the putative background by…
We study the problem of instanton generated superpotentials in Calabi-Yau orientifold compactifications directly in type IIB string theory. To this end, we derive the Dirac equation on a Euclidean D3 brane in the presence of background…
We study M and F theory compactifications on Calabi-Yau four-folds in the presence of non-trivial background flux. The geometry is warped and belongs to the class of p-brane metrics. We solve for the explicit warp factor in the orbifold…
We introduce generalized calibrations that take into account the gauge field on the D-brane so that calibrated submanifolds minimize the Dirac-Born-Infeld energy. We establish the calibration bound and show that the calibration form is…
We use the compatibility of D-brane action with linear off-shell T-duality and linear on-shell S-duality as guiding principles to find all world volume couplings of one massless closed and three massless open strings at order $\alpha'^2$ in…