Related papers: The M-Theory Three-Form and Singular Geometries
M theory compactifications on G_2 holonomy manifolds, whilst supersymmetric, require singularities in order to obtain non-Abelian gauge groups, chiral fermions and other properties necessary for a realistic model of particle physics. We…
The presence of non-Abelian discrete gauge symmetries in four-dimensional F-theory compactifications is investigated. Such symmetries are shown to arise from seven-brane configurations in genuine F-theory settings without a weak string…
We study the physics of singular limits of $G_2$ compactifications of M-theory, which are necessary to obtain a compactification with non-abelian gauge symmetry or massless charged particles. This is more difficult than for Calabi-Yau…
Compactification of M- / string theory on manifolds with $G_2$ structure yields a wide variety of 4D and 3D physical theories. We analyze the local geometry of such compactifications as captured by a gauge theory obtained from a…
Singular fiber resolution does not describe the spontaneous breaking of gauge symmetry in F-theory, as the corresponding branch of the moduli space does not exist in the theory. Accordingly, even non-abelian gauge theories have not been…
We present M-theory compactifications on $K_3 \times K_3$ with membranes near the $A_n$ or $D_n$ singularities of the $K_3$ spaces. By realizing each of these compactifications in two different ways as type I' models with 2- and 6-branes,…
We study M-theory compactified on a specific class of seven-dimensional manifolds with SU(3) structure. The manifolds can be viewed as a fibration of an arbitrary Calabi-Yau threefold over a circle, with a U-duality twist around the circle.…
F-theory compactifications with a nontrivial Mordell-Weil group realize abelian gauge symmetry through rational sections, but their consistency is ultimately a statement about the quantum effective action. We show that compactification on a…
We discuss the use of gauge fields to stabilize complex structure moduli in Calabi-Yau three-fold compactifications of heterotic string and M-theory. The requirement that the gauge fields in such models preserve supersymmetry leads to a…
M-theory frozen singularities are (locally) $D$- or $E$-type orbifold singularities with a background fractional $C_3$-monodromy surrounding them. In this paper, we revisit such backgrounds and address several puzzling features of their…
We elucidate the interplay between gauge and supersymmetry anomalies in six-dimensional $N=1$ supergravity with generalized couplings between tensor and vector multiplets. We derive the structure of the five-dimensional supergravity…
We develop methods to study the singularities of certain $G_2$ cones related to toric hyperkahler spaces and Einstein selfdual orbifolds. This allows us to determine the low energy gauge groups of chiral N=1 compactifications of M-theory on…
This diploma thesis has three major objectives. Firstly, we give an elementary introduction to M-theory compactifications, which are obtained from an analysis of its low-energy effective theory, eleven-dimensional supergravity. In…
We give a precise formulation of the M-theory 3-form potential C in a fashion applicable to topologically nontrivial situations. In our model the 3-form is related to the Chern-Simons form of an E8 gauge field. This leads to a precise…
We explore higher-form symmetries of M- and F-theory compactified on elliptic fibrations, determined by the topology of their asymptotic boundaries. The underlying geometric structures are shown to be equivalent to known characterizations…
Phenomenological compactifications of M-theory involve 7-manifolds with G_2 holonomy and various singularities. Here we study local geometries with such singularities, by thinking of them as compactifications of 7d supersymmetric Yang-Mills…
In this letter, we introduce a general theory for the construction of particle physics theories, with three families and realistic gauge groups, within the context of heterotic M-theory. This is achieved using semi-stable holomorphic gauge…
We study the fate of discrete gauge groups and discrete charges of gravitational theories under twisted circle compactification. We then apply our results to six-dimensional F-theory vacua with discrete gauge symmetries and relate them to…
We study a class of compactifications of M-theory to three dimensions that preserve N=2 supersymmetry and which have the defining feature that a probe space-time filling M2 brane feels a non-trivial potential on the internal manifold. Using…
We show how to cast an interacting system of M--branes into manifestly gauge-invariant form using an arrangement of higher-dimensional Dirac surfaces. Classical M--theory has a cohomologically nontrivial and noncommutative set of gauge…