Topology change and heterotic flux vacua

31.10.2023 14:00 - 15:00

Ilarion Melnikov (James Madison Univ. / IPhT Saclay)

Abstract: I will review the status of heterotic flux compactification with 8 and 4 supercharges. 

The underlying geometry of these compactifications is a principal torus bundle over a K3 surface, 

and T-duality in the torus fiber leads to equivalences between topologically distinct configurations. 

In particular, I will argue that all such vacua that preserve 8 supercharges can be related to more conventional (flux free) compactifications. 

These dualities lead to a rich interconnected web of stringy geometries with a fairly direct worldsheet CFT interpretation. 

Orbifolds of such configurations can partially break supersymmetry and reduce the gauge group rank. On the other hand, there are four-dimensional configurations that cannot be T-dualized to configurations without flux; these configurations place strong constraints on the underlying K3 geometry. 

If there is time, I will also discuss these equivalences from the dual M-theory point of view.

Organiser:
S. Fredenhagen, D. Grumiller, A. Fiorucci, T. Tran
Location:
Sem. R. DB gelb 03 - TU, Freihaus, Wiedner Hauptstrasse 8, 3rd floor