Related papers: Comment on the Generation Number in Orbifold Compa…
We review efforts in string model building, focusing on the heterotic orbifold compactifications. We survey how one can, starting from an explicit string theory, obtain models which resemble Nature. These models exhibit the standard model…
We analyse various two dimensional theories arising from compactification of type II and heterotic string theory on asymmetric orbifolds. We find extra supersymmetry generators arising from twisted sectors, giving rise to exotic…
We review the construction of open descendants of the type IIB superstring on the Z-orbifold. It results in a chiral four-dimensional model with gauge group $SO(8) \otimes U(12)$ and three generations of matter in the $(8,12^*)\oplus…
The compactification of the heterotic string on six-dimensional orbifolds is reviewed. Some important technical aspects of their construction are clarified and new parameters, called generalized discrete torsion, are introduced and related…
We identify the twisted sectors of a compact simplicial toric variety. We do the same for a generic nondegenerate Calabi-Yau hypersurface of an $n$-dimensional simplicial Fano toric variety and then explicitly compute $h^{1,1}_{orb}$ and…
We derive the moduli dependent threshold corrections to gauge couplings in toroidal orbifold compactifications. The underlying six dimensional torus lattice of the heterotic string theory is not assumed ---as in previous calculations--- to…
The data from collider experiments and cosmic observatories indicates the existence of three light matter generations. In some classes of string compactifications the number of generations is related to a topological quantity, the Euler…
We consider the heterotic E8 X E8 string theory, which gives rise to four-dimensional Standard-like Models and allows for their SO(10) embedding. We investigate two different schemes of compactification: the free fermionic formulation and…
Following a recent suggestion by Randall and Sundrum, we consider string compactification scenarios in which a compact slice of AdS-space arises as a subspace of the compactification manifold. A specific example is provided by the type II…
We study orbifold compactifications of heterotic strings on Enriques surfaces. We classify the inequivalent shift vectors for both the E8\times E8 and Spin(32)/Z2 lattices, and analyse the light spectrum of the resulting models. We show…
A review of orbifold geometry is given, followed by a review of the construction of four-dimensional heterotic string models by compactification on a six-dimensional Z_3 orbifold. Particular attention is given to the details of the…
We investigate orbifold compactifications of the heterotic string, addressing in detail their construction, classification and phenomenological potential. We present a strategy to search for models resembling the minimal supersymmetric…
We investigate special compactifications of the heterotic string for which the space of half-BPS states is, in a natural way, a representation of various subgroups of the Conway group. These compactifications provide a useful framework for…
I discuss the problem of generation mass hierarchy in the context of realistic superstring models which are constructed in the free fermionic formulation. These models correspond to models which are compactified on $Z_2\times Z_2$ orbifold.…
We study ${\cal N}=2$ compactifications of heterotic string theory on the CHL orbifold $(K3\times T^2)/\mathbb{Z}_N$ with $N= 2, 3, 5, 7$. $\mathbb{Z}_N$ acts as an involution on $K3$ together with a shift of $1/N$ along one of the circles…
Nonstandard parafermions are built and their central charges and dimensions are calculated. We then construct new N=2 superconformal field theories by tensoring the parafermions with a free boson. We study the spectrum and modular…
In this note we derive the net number of generations of chiral fermions in heterotic string compactifications on Calabi-Yau threefolds with certain SU(n) vector bundles, for n odd, using the parabolic approach for bundles. We compare our…
We consider compactifications of the heterotic string on $K3 \times T2$ so that the resulting theory in $d = 4$ space-time dimensions has $N = 2$ supersymmetry. The gravitational and gauge coupling constants of the low-energy effective…
After pointing out the role of the compactification lattice for spectrum calculations in orbifold models, I discuss modular discrete symmetry groups for $Z_N$ or\-bi\-folds. I consider the $Z_7$ orbifold as a nontrivial example of a (2,2)…
This work discusses string compactifications on the torus with optional Z_4 x Z_4 or Z_2 x Z_2 orbifold action from the perspective of matrix factorizations. The method is brought to a level where model building on these backgrounds is…