Related papers: Geometric Constructions of Nongeometric String The…
A type IIA string compactified on a Calabi-Yau manifold which admits a K3 fibration is believed to be equivalent to a heterotic string in four dimensions. We study cases where a Calabi-Yau manifold can have more than one such fibration…
We consider type II string theory compactified on a symmetric T^6/Z_2 orientifold. We study a general class of discrete deformations of the resulting four-dimensional supergravity theory, including gaugings arising from geometric and…
We apply the techniques of the ``universal string theory'' to the ``manifold'' paradigm for superstring/M-theory and come up with a candidate manifold: the manifold of F-theory vacua, defined in conformal field theoretical terms. It…
We investigate aspects of certain stringy invariants of singular elliptic fibrations which arise in engineering Grand Unified Theories in F-theory. In particular, we exploit the small resolutions of the total space of these fibrations…
We review the structure $D=6, N=1$ string vacua with emphasis on the different connections due to T-dualities and S-dualities. The topics discussed include: Anomaly cancellation; K3 and orbifold $D=6, N=1$ heterotic compactifications;…
We investigate the infinite-distance properties of families of unstable flux vacua in string theory with broken supersymmetry. To this end, we employ a generalized notion of distance in the moduli space and we build a holographic…
We show that various disconnected components of the moduli space of superstring vacua with 16 supercharges admit a rationale in terms of BPS un-orientifolds, i.e. type I toroidal compactifications with constant non-vanishing but quantized…
Using the heterotic--type II duality of $N=2$ string vacua in four space-time dimensions we study non-perturbative couplings of toroidally compactified six-dimensional heterotic vacua. In particular, the heterotic--heterotic $S$-duality and…
We discuss a duality of (0,2) heterotic string vacua which implies that certain pairs of (0,2) Calabi-Yau compactifications on topologically distinct target manifolds yield identical string theories. Some complex structure moduli in one…
The partition function of type IIA and B strings on R^6xK3, in the T^4/Z_2 orbifold limit, is explicitly computed as a modular invariant sum over spin strutures required by perturbative unitarity in order to extend the analysis to include…
We demonstrate that flux compactifications of type IIA string theory can classically stabilize all geometric moduli. For a particular orientifold background, we explicitly construct an infinite family of supersymmetric vacua with all moduli…
We use local mirror symmetry in type IIA string compactifications on Calabi-Yau n+1 folds $X_{n+1}$ to construct vector bundles on (possibly singular) elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau n-folds Z_n. The interpretation of these data as valid…
We use non-perturbative U-duality symmetries of type II strings to construct new vacuum solutions. In some ways this generalizes the F-theory vacuum constructions. We find the possibilities of new vacuum constructions are very limited.…
We discuss compactifications of heterotic string theory to four dimensions in the presence of H-fluxes, which deform the geometry of the internal manifold, and a gaugino condensate which breaks supersymmetry. We focus on the compensation of…
The strong coupling regime of four-dimensional N=2 supersymmetric vacua of the heterotic string is analyzed from a dual domain wall perspective. Using modular invariance, we compute a closed form for the non-perturbative corrections to the…
We give necessary conditions for the existence of perturbative heterotic and common sector type II string warped compactifications preserving four and eight supersymmetries to four spacetime dimensions, respectively. In particular, we find…
A while ago, examples of N=1 vacua in D=6 were constructed as orientifolds of Type IIB string theory compactified on the K3 surface. Among the interesting features of those models was the presence of D5-branes behaving like small…
We present a detailed analysis of non-supersymmetric spacetime varying string vacua which can lead to an exponential hierarchy between the electroweak and the gravitational scales. In particular, we identify a limit in which these vacua can…
We consider the general case of a type IIA string compactified on a Calabi-Yau manifold which has a heterotic dual description. It is shown that the nonabelian gauge symmetries which can appear nonperturbatively in the type II string but…
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…