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We argue that type II string theories contain unstable NS4 branes, which descend from a conjectured unstable M4 brane of M-theory. Assuming that an M2 brane can arise in M5 brane/anti-brane annihilation, the unstable M4 brane, and also an…
In this paper we study M-theory compactifications on seven-dimensional manifolds with SU(3) structure. As such manifolds naturally pick out a specific direction, the resulting effective theory can be cast into a form which is similar to…
We construct a topological theory for euclidean gravity in four dimensions, by enforcing self-duality conditions on the spin connection. The corresponding topological symmetry is associated to the SU(2) X diffeomorphism X U(1) invariance.…
We consider a few ansatzs for the four and seven forms of 11-dimensional supergravity over AdS_4 x S^7/Z_k while try to keep the geometry unchanged. From the 4-form equations, we arrive at some massless scalars and pseudoscalars in the bulk…
U-duality p-branes in toroidally compactified type II superstring theories in space-time dimensions $10 > D \ge 4$ can be constructed explicitly based on the conjectured U-duality symmetries and the corresponding known single-charge super…
We explore how the topology of spacetime fabric is encoded into the local structure of Riemannian metrics using the gauge theory formulation of Euclidean gravity. In part I, we provide a rigorous mathematical foundation to prove that a…
We consider the compactification of the dual form of $N=1$ $D=10$ supergravity on a six-dimensional Calabi-Yau manifold. An $N=1$ off-shell supergravity effective Lagrangian in four dimensions can be constructed in a dual version of the…
We construct the complete and explicit non-linear Kaluza-Klein ansatz for deriving the bosonic sector of N=4 SU(2)\times U(1) gauged five-dimensional supergravity from the reduction of type IIB supergravity on S^5. This provides the first…
We construct D=4 Type I vacua with massless content remarkably close to that of the standard model of particle physics. They are tachyon-free non-supersymmetric models which are obtained starting with a standard D=4, N=1 compact Type IIB…
We find a curious duality between the bosonic sector of heterotic supergravity and the noncritical bosonic string with conformal anomaly. This allows us to map the Mink$_4\times S^3\times S^3$ vacuum of the bosonic string to a new warped…
We construct supergravity solutions dual to twisted field theories that are the worldvolume theories of D4-branes wrapped on 2, 3-cycles, and NS-fivebranes on 3-cycles. We first obtain the solutions for the Romans' six-dimensional gauged…
We present a consistency condition for 8d ${\cal N} = 1$ supergravity theories with non-trivial global structure $G/Z$ for the non-Abelian gauge group, based on an anomaly involving the $Z$ 1-form center symmetry. The interplay with other…
We consider the most general form for eleven dimensional supersymmetry compatible with on-shell superfields. This allows for the introduction of a conformal Spin(1,10) connection. In eleven dimensional Minkowski space this modification is…
We study a deformation of the type IIB Maldacena-Nunez background which arises as the near-horizon limit of NS5 branes wrapped on a two-cycle. This background is dual to a "little string theory" compactified on a two-sphere, a theory which…
We propose an extension of the Standard Model inspired by the E_8 x E_8 Heterotic String. In order that a reasonable effective Lagrangian is presented we neglect everything else other than the ten-dimensional N=1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills…
We establish a universal consistent Kaluza-Klein truncation of M-theory based on seven-dimensional tri-Sasakian structure. The four-dimensional truncated theory is an N=4 gauged supergravity with three vector multiplets and a non-abelian…
We revisit the reduction of type II supergravity on SU(3) structure manifolds, conjectured to lead to gauged N=2 supergravity in 4 dimensions. The reduction proceeds by expanding the invariant 2- and 3-forms of the SU(3) structure as well…
We discuss how to incorporate non-supersymmetric branes in compactifications of type II string theories. We particularly focus on flux compactifications on $SU(3)\times SU(3)$ structure manifolds to four dimensions, so that a linear…
We analyse geometric type IIA flux compactifications leading to N=4 gauged supergravities in four dimensions. The complete landscape of isotropic vacua is presented, which turns out to belong to a unique theory. The solutions admit an…
We present the gauged N=4 (half-maximal) supergravities in four and five spacetime dimensions coupled to an arbitrary number of vector multiplets. The gaugings are parameterized by a set of appropriately constrained constant tensors, which…