Related papers: On Geometric Transitions in String Compactificatio…
We consider type II superstring compactifications on the singular Spin(7) manifold constructed as a cone on SU(3)/U(1). Based on a toric realization of the projective space CP^2, we discuss how the manifold can be viewed as three…
The geometric features and toric descriptions of two different 8-dimensional $Spin(7)$ manifolds constructed via distinct resolutions of the cone over an $SU(3)/U(1)$ base, reveals that the geometry of the $Spin(7)$ conifold transition…
We continue our study of compactifications of F-theory on Calabi--Yau threefolds. We gain more insight into F-theory duals of heterotic strings and provide a recipe for building F-theory duals for arbitrary heterotic compactifications on…
We consider the interplay between brane constructions and type IIA, IIB or M-theory geometries on Calabi-Yau (CY) and G_2 holonomy manifolds. This is related to N=1 (and N=2) gauge theories in four dimensions. We first discuss simple…
We study, as hypersurfaces in toric varieties, elliptic Calabi-Yau fourfolds for F-theory compactifications dual to E8xE8 heterotic strings compactified to four dimensions on elliptic Calabi-Yau threefolds with some choice of vector bundle.…
We study compactifications of F-theory on certain Calabi--Yau threefolds. We find that $N=2$ dualities of type II/heterotic strings in 4 dimensions get promoted to $N=1$ dualities between heterotic string and F-theory in 6 dimensions. The…
In previous work, it was argued that the type IIB T^6/Z_2 orientifold with a choice of flux preserving N=2 supersymmetry is dual to a class of purely geometric type IIA compactifications on abelian surface (T^4) fibered Calabi-Yau…
We consider topology changing transitions for M-theory compactifications on Calabi-Yau fourfolds with background G-flux. The local geometry of the transition is generically a genus g curve of conifold singularities, which engineers a 3d…
The study of the geometry of Calabi-Yau fourfolds is relevant for compactifications of string theory, M-theory, and F-theory to various dimensions. In the first part of this thesis, we study the action of mirror symmetry on two-dimensional…
We investigate the field dependence of the gauge coupling functions of four-dimensional Type IIB orientifold and F-theory compactifications with space-time filling seven-branes. In particular, we analyze the constraints imposed by…
In this work we explore the physics associated to Calabi-Yau (CY) n-folds that can be described as a fibration in more than one way. Beginning with F-theory vacua in various dimensions, we consider limits/dualities with M-theory, type IIA,…
Geometric transitions between Calabi-Yau manifolds have proven to be a powerful tool in exploring the intricate and interconnected vacuum structure of string compactifications. However, their role in N=1, 4-dimensional string…
We propose a new way of using geometric transitions to study metastable vacua in string theory and certain confining gauge theories. The gauge theories in question are N=2 supersymmetric theories deformed to N=1 by superpotential terms. We…
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…
We review several aspects of heterotic, type II, F-theory, and M-theory compactifications on Calabi-Yau threefolds and fourfolds. In the context of dualities we focus on the heterotic gauge structure determined by the various types of…
Using mirror pairs (M_3, W_3) in type II superstring compactifications on Calabi-Yau threefolds, we study, geometrically, F-theory duals of M-theory on seven manifolds with G_2 holonomy. We first develop a way for getting Landau Ginzburg…
We study large N dualities for a general class of N=1 theories realized on type IIB D5 branes wrapping 2-cycles of local Calabi-Yau threefolds or as effective field theories on D4 branes in type IIA brane configurations. We completely solve…
We study large N dualities for a class of ${\cal N} = 1$ theories realized on type IIB D5 branes wrapping 2-cycles of local Calabi-Yau threefolds which is obtained from resolving orbifolded conifolds or as effective field theories on D4…
We study the space of geometric and open string moduli of type IIB compactifications from the perspective of complex structure deformations of F-theory. In order to find a correspondence, we work in the weak coupling limit and for…
We consider the construction of a topological version of F-theory on a particular $Spin(7)$ 8-manifold which is a Calabi-Yau 3-fold times a 2-torus. We write an action for this theory in eight dimensions and reduce it to lower dimensions…