Related papers: Orbifold Compactification and Related Phenomenolog…
We investigate gauge anomalies in the context of orbifold conformal field theories. Such anomalies manifest as failures of modular invariance in the constituents of the orbifold partition function. We review how this irregularity is…
In these lectures we review Generalized Complex Geometry and discuss two main applications to string theory: the description of supersymmetric flux compactifications and the supersymmetric embedding of D-branes. We start by reviewing…
In this short review, we outline three sets of developments in understanding heterotic string compactifications. First, we outline recent progress in heterotic analogues of quantum cohomology computations. Second, we discuss a potential…
Finite Unified Theories (FUTs) are N=1 supersymmetric Grand Unified Theories that can be made all-loop finite, leading to a severe reduction of the free parameters. We review the investigation of FUTs based on SU(5) in the context of…
We reconsider the issue of large-volume compactifications of the heterotic string in light of the recent discoveries about strongly-coupled string theories. Our conclusion remains firmly negative with respect to classical compactifications…
We study $U(N)$ SYM theories on spaces with orbifold singularities via an equivalent description in terms of gauge theories on smooth manifolds with insertions of Gukov-Witten and twist defects. The combined effect of the defects is to…
Quantum gravity phenomenology has been historically regarded as a difficult endeavour, due to the apparent scarcity of phenomena involving the required scales of length (Planck length $l_P$) and energy (Planck energy $E_P$). It was…
Amidst all candidates of physics beyond the Standard Model, string theory provides a unique proposal for incorporating gauge and gravitational interactions. In string theory, a four-dimensional theory that unifies quantum mechanics and…
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…
Recent results in study of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model as the effective low energy theory give important hints for experimental search for supersymmetry. Also, in the bottom-up approach to explore weak scale - GUT scale…
We study conformal field theory on two-dimensional orbifolds and show this to be an effective way to analyze physical effects of geometric singularities with angular deficits. They are closely related to boundaries and cross caps.…
In these lecture notes, an introduction to superstring theory is presented. Classical strings, covariant and light-cone quantization, supersymmetric strings, anomaly cancelation, compactification, T-duality, supersymmetry breaking, and…
We study possible correlations between properties of the observable and hidden sectors in heterotic string theory. Specifically, we analyze the case of the Z6-II orbifold compactification which produces a significant number of models with…
We study orbifold compactifications of F-theory which lead to $N=1$ supersymmetry in 6 and 4 spacetime dimensions. These are dual to specific orientifolds of M-theory, and in many cases to orientifolds of type IIB string theory. The…
In this dissertation, we study various aspects of type IIB string theory compactified on freely acting orbifolds. We focus particularly on asymmetric orbifolds, which are examples of non-geometric string compactifications and constitute an…
The possibility of appearance of GUT precursors near the TeV scale (suggested by Dienes-Dudas-Gherghetta) is addressed within 5D GUTs compactified on an $S^{(1)}/Z_2\tm Z_2'$ orbifold. For a low compactification scale (large radius), there…
Topological phases of matter in (2+1) dimensions are commonly equipped with global symmetries, such as electric-magnetic duality in gauge theories and bilayer symmetry in fractional quantum Hall states. Gauging these symmetries into local…
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…
We use freely acting asymmetric orbifolds of type IIB string theory to construct a class of theories in four dimensions with eight supercharges. Their low energy effective field theories resemble $STU$ models, but have different duality…
We present a pedagogical overview of flux compactifications in string theory, from the basic ideas to the most recent developments. We concentrate on closed string fluxes in type II theories. We start by reviewing the supersymmetric flux…