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Main Authors: Israel, Dan, Melnikov, Ilarion V., Minasian, Ruben, Proto, Yann
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.08923
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author Israel, Dan
Melnikov, Ilarion V.
Minasian, Ruben
Proto, Yann
author_facet Israel, Dan
Melnikov, Ilarion V.
Minasian, Ruben
Proto, Yann
contents We investigate the interrelation between topology and Narain T-duality of heterotic flux vacua. We present evidence that all 5 and 4-dimensional Minkowski space heterotic flux backgrounds with 8 supercharges have a locus in the moduli space with a T-dual description in terms of a compactification on the product of a K3 surface with a circle or a torus. A test of this equivalence is provided by calculating the new supersymmetric index on both sides of the duality. We examine the implications of these dualities for CHL-like orbifolds that reduce the rank of the gauge group, as well as those that lead to minimal supersymmetry in 4 dimensions. We also discuss properties of flux vacua that preserve minimal supersymmetry in 4 dimensions that cannot be related to conventional compactifications by Narain T-duality. Along the way we point out a number of properties of these vacua, including the role played by non-trivial flat gerbes, the appearance of rational worldsheet CFTs in decompactification limits, and the role of attractive K3 surfaces in backgrounds with minimal supersymmetry. Finally, we discuss the dual pairs from the perspective of M-theory/heterotic duality.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2312_08923
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Topology change and heterotic flux vacua
Israel, Dan
Melnikov, Ilarion V.
Minasian, Ruben
Proto, Yann
High Energy Physics - Theory
We investigate the interrelation between topology and Narain T-duality of heterotic flux vacua. We present evidence that all 5 and 4-dimensional Minkowski space heterotic flux backgrounds with 8 supercharges have a locus in the moduli space with a T-dual description in terms of a compactification on the product of a K3 surface with a circle or a torus. A test of this equivalence is provided by calculating the new supersymmetric index on both sides of the duality. We examine the implications of these dualities for CHL-like orbifolds that reduce the rank of the gauge group, as well as those that lead to minimal supersymmetry in 4 dimensions. We also discuss properties of flux vacua that preserve minimal supersymmetry in 4 dimensions that cannot be related to conventional compactifications by Narain T-duality. Along the way we point out a number of properties of these vacua, including the role played by non-trivial flat gerbes, the appearance of rational worldsheet CFTs in decompactification limits, and the role of attractive K3 surfaces in backgrounds with minimal supersymmetry. Finally, we discuss the dual pairs from the perspective of M-theory/heterotic duality.
title Topology change and heterotic flux vacua
topic High Energy Physics - Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.08923