Related papers: Almost Special Holonomy in Type IIA&M Theory
The topological part of the M-theory partition function was shown by Witten to be encoded in the index of an E8 bundle in eleven dimensions. This partition function is, however, not automatically anomaly-free. We observe here that the…
We propose new $G_2$-holonomy manifolds, which geometrize the Gaiotto-Kim 4d N=1 duality domain walls of 5d N=1 theories. These domain walls interpolate between different extended Coulomb branch phases of a given 5d superconformal field…
The low energy physics of M theory near certain singularities of $G_2$-holonomy spacetimes can be described by pure N=1 super Yang-Mills theory in four dimensions. In this note we consider the cases when the gauge group is SO(2n), E6, E7 or…
A natural approach to the construction of nearly G2 manifolds lies in resolving nearly G2 spaces with isolated conical singularities by gluing in asymptotically conical G2 manifolds modelled on the same cone. If such a resolution exits, one…
This is a pedagogical exposition of holonomy groups intended for physicists. After some pertinent definitions, we focus on special holonomy manifolds, two per division algebras, and comment upon several cases of interest in physics,…
We construct modular invariant partition functions for strings propagating on non-compact manifolds of G_2 holonomy. Our amplitudes involve a pair of N=1 minimal models M_m, M_{m+2} (m=3,4,...) and are identified as describing strings on…
Understanding the strong coupling limit of massive type IIA string theory is a longstanding problem. We argue that perhaps this problem does not exist; namely, there may be no strongly coupled solutions of the massive theory. We show…
We propose a holographic realization of symmetry operators for symmetries associated to isometries in terms of non-BPS Kaluza-Klein monopoles. Their existence is supported by dualities, and their action can be inferred by consistency with…
We analyse the geometry of generic Minkowski $\mathcal{N}=1$, $D=4$ flux compactifications in string theory, the default backgrounds for string model building. In M-theory they are the natural string theoretic extensions of $\mathrm{G}_2$…
We consider compactifications of type IIA superstring theory on mirror-folds obtained as K3 fibrations over two-tori with non-geometric monodromies involving mirror symmetries. At special points in the moduli space these are asymmetric…
We describe all almost contact metric, almost hermitian and $G_2$-structures admitting a connection with totally skew-symmetric torsion tensor, and prove that there exists at most one such connection. We investigate its torsion form, its…
As a refinement of the Swampland Distance Conjecture, we propose that a quantum gravitational theory in an infinite distance limit of its moduli space either decompactifies, or reduces to an asymptotically tensionless, weakly coupled string…
Exploiting the gauge/gravity correspondence we find the spectrum of hadronic-like bound states of adjoint particles with a large global charge in several confining theories. In particular, we consider an embedding of four-dimensional N=1…
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…
We study complete, simply-connected manifolds with special holonomy that are toric with respect to their multi-moment maps. We consider the cases where there is a connected non-Abelian symmetry group containing the torus. For…
We exhibit examples of closed Riemannian 7-manifolds with holonomy G_2 such that the underlying manifolds are diffeomorphic but whose associated G_2-structures are not homotopic. This is achieved by defining two invariants of certain…
We study M-theory compactification on ${\mathbb{T}^7/ \mathbb{Z}_2^3}$ in the presence of a seven-flux, metric fluxes and KK monopoles. The effective four-dimensional supergravity has seven chiral multiplets whose couplings are specified by…
We present a construction of superconformal field theories for manifolds with Spin(7) holonomy. Geometrically these models correspond to the realization of Spin(7) manifolds as anti-holomorphic quotients of Calabi-Yau fourfolds. Describing…
The mathematical features of a string theory compactification determine the physics of the effective four-dimensional theory. For this reason, understanding the mathematical structure of the possible compactification spaces is of profound…
We classify and construct all the smooth Kaluza-Klein reductions to ten dimensions of the M2- and M5-brane configurations which preserve some of the supersymmetry. In this way we obtain a wealth of new supersymmetric IIA backgrounds…