We examine the flux structures defined by NS-NS superpotentials of Type IIA and Type IIB string theories compactified on a particular class of internal spaces which include non-geometric flux contributions due to T duality or mirror symmetry. This is then extended to the Type IIB R-R sector through the use of S duality and then finally to its mirror dual Type IIA R-R sector, with note of how this sector breaks S duality invariance in Type IIA. The nilpotency and tadpole constraints associated with the fluxes induced by both dualities are derived, explicitly demonstrated to be mirror invariant and classified in terms of S duality multiplets. These results are then used to motivate the postulation of an additional symmetry for internal spaces which are their own mirror duals and an analysis is done of the resultant constraints for such a construction.
These pedagogical lectures given at the Corfu Summer Institute 2018 review two generalised notions of T-duality, non-Abelian T-duality and Poisson-Lie duality, and their applications. We explain how each of these has seen recent application in the context of holography. Non-Abelian T-duality has been used to construct new holographic dual geometries. Poisson-Lie duality has been used to construct new integrable string sigma-models including the $η$- and $λ$-deformations of the $AdS_5\times S^5$ superstring thought to encode quantum group deformations of holography. We also comment on the doubl…
We study a class of duality transformations in generalised Z(2) gauge theories and Ising models on two- and three-dimensional compact lattices. The theories are interpreted algebraically in terms of the structure constants of a bidimensional vector space H with algebra and coalgebra structures, and it is shown that for any change of basis in H there is a related symmetry between such models. The classical Kramers and Wannier dualities are described as special cases of these transformations. We derive explicit expressions for the relation between partition functions on general finite triangulat…
The worldsheet theories that describe Poisson-Lie T-dualisable $σ$-models on group manifolds as well as integrable $η$, $λ$ and $β$-deformations provide examples of ${\cal E}$-models. Here we show how such ${\cal E}$-models can be given an elegant target space description within Double Field Theory by specifying explicitly generalised frame fields forming an algebra under the generalised Lie derivative. With this framework we can extract simple criteria for the R/R fields and the dilaton that extend the ${\cal E}$-model conditions to type II backgrounds. In particular this gives conditions for…
Defects are a useful tool in the study of quantum field theories. This is illustrated in the example of two-dimensional conformal field theories. We describe how defect lines and their junction points appear in the description of symmetries and order-disorder dualities, as well as in the orbifold construction and a generalisation thereof that covers exceptional modular invariants.
We investigate the possible existence of (meta-)stable de Sitter vacua within N=1 compactifications with generalised fluxes. With the aid of an algorithm inspired by the method of differential evolution, we were able to find three novel examples of completely tachyon-free de Sitter extrema in a non-isotropic type IIB model with non-geometric fluxes. We also analyse the surroundings of the aforementioned points in parameter space and chart the corresponding stability regions. These happen to occur at small values of the cosmological constant compared to the AdS scale.
I study generalisations of U-duality transformations which do not rely on the existence of isometries. I start by providing more details of a recently proposed generalised U-duality map between solutions of type IIA supergravity of the form $\text{M}_7 \times \text{S}^3$, with NSNS flux, and solutions of 11-dimensional supergravity, in which the three-sphere is replaced by a four-dimensional geometry which encodes three-algebra structure constants. I then show that when $\text{M}_7$ admits two abelian isometries, TsT deformations on the IIA side become six-vector deformations in the 11-dimensi…
We study compactifications of string theory and M-theory to six dimensions with background fluxes. The nonzero fluxes lead to additional mass parameters. We derive the S- and T-duality rules for the corresponding (massive) supergravity theories. Specifically, we investigate the massive T-duality between Type IIA superstring theory compactified on K3 with background fluxes and Type IIB superstring theory compactified on K3. Furthermore, we generalise to the massive case the 6D 'string-string' S-duality between M-theory on K3 x S^1 and the Heterotic String on T^4. Whereas in the case of massive …
We study timelike U-dualities acting in three and four directions of 11-dimensional supergravity, which form the groups $SL(2)\times SL(3)$ and SL(5). Using generalised geometry, we find that timelike U-dualities, despite previous conjectures, do not change the signature of the spacetime. Furthermore, we prove that the spacetime signature must be $(-,+,...,+)$ when the U-duality modular group is either $\frac{SL(2)\times SL(3)}{SO(1,1)\times SO(2,1)}$ or $\frac{SL(5)}{SO(3,2)}$. We find that for some dual solutions it is necessary to include a trivector field which is related to the existence …
We briefly review the description of the internal sector of supergravity theories in the language of generalised geometry and how this gives rise to a description of supersymmetric backgrounds as integrable geometric structures. We then review recent work, featuring holomorphic Courant algebroids, on the description of $\mathcal N=1$ heterotic flux vacua. This work studied the finite deformation problem of the Hull-Strominger system, guided by consideration of the superpotential functional on the relevant space of geometries. It rewrote the system in terms of the Maurer-Cartan set of a particu…
We study Vafa's geometric transition from a brane setup in M-theory. In this transition D5 branes wrapped on P^1 cycles of a resolved conifold disappear and are replaced by fluxes on a deformed conifold. In the limit of small sized P^1, we describe this mechanism as a transition from curved M5 branes to plane M5 branes which replaces SU(N) MQCD by U(1) theories on the bulk. This agrees with the results expected from the geometric transition. We also discuss the reduction to ten dimensions and a brane creation mechanism in the presence of fluxes.
In this work we explore many directions in the framework of gauge-gravity dualities. In type IIB theory we give an explicit derivation of the local metric for five branes wrapped on rigid two-cycles. Our derivation involves various interplays between warp factors, dualities and fluxes and the final result confirms our earlier predictions. We also find a novel dipole-like deformation of the background due to an inherent orientifold projection in the full global geometry. The supergravity solution for this deformation takes into account various things like the presence of a non-trivial backgroun…
We undertake a systematic analysis of non-geometric backgrounds in string theory by seeking stringy liftings of a class of gauged supergravity theories. In addition to conventional flux compactifications and non-geometric T-folds with T-duality transition functions, we find a new class of non-geometric backgrounds with non-trivial dependence on the dual coordinates that are conjugate to the string winding number. We argue that T-duality acts in our class of theories, including those cases without isometries in which the conventional Buscher rules cannot be applied, and that these generalised T…
In this thesis the recently developed duality covariant approach to string and M-theory is investigated. In this formalism the U-duality symmetry of M-theory or T-duality symmetry of Type II string theory becomes manifest upon extending coordinates that describe a background. The effective potential of Double Field Theory is formulated only up to a boundary term and thus does not capture possible topological effects that may come from a boundary. By introducing a generalised normal we derive a manifestly duality covariant boundary term that reproduces the known Gibbons-Hawking action of Genera…
We examine magnetic and electric near horizon regions of maximally supersymmetric D-brane and NS5-brane bound states and find transformations between near horizon regions with worldvolume dual magnetic and electric fluxes. These point to dual formulations of NCYM, NCOS and OD$p$ theories in the limit of weak coupling and large spatial or temporal non-commutativity length scale in terms of weakly coupled theories with fixed worldvolume dual non-commutativity based on open D-branes. We also examine the strong coupling behavior of the open D-brane theories and propose a unified web of dualities i…
We sharpen the duality between open and closed topological string partition functions for topological gravity coupled to matter. The closed string partition function is a generalised Kontsevich matrix model in the large dimension limit. We integrate out off-diagonal degrees of freedom associated to one source eigenvalue, and find an open/closed topological string partition function, thus proving open/closed duality. We match the resulting open partition function to the generating function of intersection numbers on moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces with boundaries and boundary insertions. More…
We use a series of reductions, T-dualities and liftings to construct connections between fractional brane solutions in IIA, IIB and M-theory. We find a number of phantom branes that are not supported by the geometry, however materialize upon untwisting and/or Hopf-reduction.
Complex geometry and symplectic geometry are mirrors in string theory. The recently developed generalised complex geometry interpolates between the two of them. On the other hand, the classical and quantum mechanics of a finite number of degrees of freedom are respectively described by a symplectic structure and a complex structure on classical phase space. In this letter we analyse the role played by generalised complex geometry in the classical and quantum mechanics of a finite number of degrees of freedom. We identify generalised complex geometry as an appropriate geometrical setup for dual…
This is the second in a series of papers discussing in the framework of gerbe theory canonical and geometric aspects of the 2d nonlinear sigma model in the presence of conformal defects in the worldsheet. Employing the formal tools worked out in the first paper of the series, 1101.1126 [hep-th], a thorough analysis of rigid symmetries of the sigma model is carried out with emphasis on algebraic structures on generalised tangent bundles over the target space of the theory and over its state space that give rise to a realisation of the symmetry algebra on states. The analysis leads to a proposal…
We present a complete and systematic analysis of the Minkowski extrema of the N=1, D=4 Supergravity potential obtained from type II orientifold models that are T-duality invariant, in the presence of generalised fluxes. Based on our previous work on algebras spanned by fluxes, and the so-called no-go theorems on the existence of Minkowski and/or de Sitter vacua, we perform a partly analytic, partly numerical analysis of the promising cases previously hinted. We find that the models contain Minkowski extrema with one tachyonic direction. Moreover, those models defined by the Supergravity algebr…
In the appropriate limit, a type IIB string theory setup involving D3 branes, wrapped D5 branes, and fluxes on a conifold generally leads to a supergravity background involving a warped version of the conifold with fluxes. We study the supergravity dual of the baryonic branch of the Klebanov Strassler theory by writing down a very general conifold metric--the non-Kähler resolved warped-deformed conifold--and a general set of fluxes that satisfy the supergravity equations of motion, and derive the necessary constraints that allow the geometry to be dual to an $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric gaug…
A Hamiltonian formulation of the classical world-sheet theory in a generic, geometric or non-geometric, NSNS background is proposed. The essence of this formulation is a deformed current algebra, which is solely characterised by the generalised fluxes describing such a background. The construction extends to backgrounds for which there is no Lagrangian description -- namely magnetically charged backgrounds or those violating the strong constraint of double field theory -- at the cost of violating the Jacobi identity of the current algebra. The known non-commutative and non-associative interpre…
We survey physical models which capture the main concepts of double field theory on para-Hermitian manifolds. We show that the geometric theory of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamical systems is an instance of para-Kahler geometry which extends to a natural example of a Born geometry. The corresponding phase space geometry belongs to the family of natural almost para-Kahler structures which we construct explicitly as deformations of the canonical para-Kahler structure by non-linear connections. We extend this framework to a class of non-Lagrangian dynamical systems which naturally encodes the …
We study non perturbative superpotentials for N=1 super Yang Mills from the point of view of large $N$ dualities. Starting with open topological strings we work out the relation between the closed string sector dilaton tadpole, which appears in the annulus amplitude, and NSNS fluxes in the closed string dual on the resolved conifold. For the mirror closed string dual version on the deformed conifold we derive, for a non vanishing $G_{3}$ form, the $N$ supersymmetric vacua and the transformations of $G_{3}$ through domain walls. Finally, as an extension of Fischler Susskind mechanism we find a …
(0,2) gauged linear sigma models with torsion, corresponding to principal torus bundles over warped CY bases, provide a useful framework for getting exact statements about perturbative dualities in the presence of fluxes. In this context we first study dualities mapping the torus fiber onto itself, implying the existence of quantization constraints on the torus moduli for consistency. Second, we investigate dualities mixing the principal torus bundle with the gauge bundle, relating the torsional GLSMs to ordinary ones corresponding to CY compactifications with non-standard embeddings, namely t…
We generalize the recent proposal that invariance under T-duality leads to additional non-geometric fluxes required so that superpotentials in type IIA and type IIB orientifolds match. We show that invariance under type IIB S-duality requires the introduction of a new set of fluxes leading to further superpotential terms. We find new classes of N=1 supersymmetric Minkowski vacua based on type IIB toroidal orientifolds in which not only dilaton and complex moduli but also Kahler moduli are fixed. The chains of dualities relating type II orientifolds to heterotic and M-theory compactifications s…
We study aspects of the new phases of M-theory recently conjectured using generalised dualities such as timelike T-duality. Our focus is on brane solutions. We derive the intersection rules in a general framework and then specialise to the new phases of M-theory. We discuss under which conditions a configuration with several branes leads to a regular extremal black hole under compactification. We point out that the entropy seems not to be constant when the radius of the physical timelike direction is varied. This could be interpreted as a non-conservation of the entropy (and the mass) under at…
We propose a new class of non-factorising D-branes in the product group GxG where the fluxes and metrics on the two factors do not necessarily coincide. They generalise the maximally symmetric permutation branes which are known to exist when the fluxes agree, but break the symmetry down to the diagonal current algebra in the generic case. Evidence for the existence of these branes comes from a Lagrangian description for the open string world-sheet and from effective Dirac-Born-Infeld theory. We state the geometry, gauge fields and, in the case of SU(2)xSU(2), tensions and partial results on th…
We study the properties of M and F theory compactifications to three and four dimensions with background fluxes. We provide a simple construction of supersymmetric vacua, including some with orientifold descriptions. These vacua, which have warp factors, typically have fewer moduli than conventional Calabi-Yau compactifications. The mechanism for anomaly cancellation in the orientifold models involves background RR and NS fluxes. We consider in detail an orientifold of $K3\times T^2$ with background fluxes. After a combination of T and S-dualities, this type IIB orientifold is mapped to a comp…
Based on the construction of Poisson-Lie T-dual $σ$-models from a common parent action we study a candidate for the non-abelian respectively Poisson-Lie T-duality group. This group generalises the well-known abelian T-duality group O(d,d) and we explore some of its subgroups, namely factorised dualities, B- and $β$-shifts. The corresponding duality transformed $σ$-models are constructed and interpreted as generalised (non-geometric) flux backgrounds. We also comment on generalisations of results and techniques known from abelian T-duality. This includes the Lie algebra cohomology interpretatio…
We present a large class of new backgrounds that are solutions of type II supergravity with a warped AdS${}_4$ factor, non-trivial axion-dilaton, B-field, and three- and five-form Ramond-Ramond fluxes. We obtain these solutions by applying non-Abelian T-dualities with respect to SU(2) or SU(2)/U(1) isometries to reductions to 10d IIA of 11d sugra solutions of the form AdS${}_4 \times Y^7$, with $Y^7 = S^7/\mathbb{Z}_k, S^7, M^{1,1,1}, Q^{1,1,1}$ and $N(1,1)$. The main class of reductions to IIA is along the Hopf fiber and leads to solutions of the form $AdS_4 \times K_6$, where $K_6 $ is Kähle…
Within the framework of the flux formulation of Double Field Theory (DFT) we employ a generalised Scherk-Schwarz ansatz and discuss the classification of the twists that in the presence of the strong constraint give rise to constant generalised fluxes interpreted as gaugings. We analyse the various possibilities of turning on the fluxes $H_{ijk}, F_{ij}{}^k, Q_i{}^{jk}$ and $R^{ijk}$, and the solutions for the twists allowed in each case. While we do not impose the DFT (or equivalently supergravity) equations of motion, our results provide solution-generating techniques in supergravity when ap…
We discuss the relation between generalised fluxes and mixed-symmetry potentials. We first consider the NS fluxes, and point out that the `non-geometric' $R$ flux is dual to a mixed-symmetry potential with a set of nine antisymmetric indices. We then consider the T-duality family of fluxes whose prototype is the Scherk-Schwarz reduction of the S-dual of the RR scalar of IIB supergravity. Using the relation with mixed-symmetry potentials, we are able to give a complete classification of these fluxes, including the ones that are non-geometric. The non-geometric fluxes again turn out to be dual t…
We construct a family of type IIB string backgrounds that are deformations of $\rm AdS_3 \times S^3 \times T^4$ with a "squashed" $\rm AdS_3 \times S^3$ metric supported by a combination of NSNS and RR fluxes. They have global $\rm SU(1,1) \times SU(2)$ symmetry, regular curvature, constant dilaton and preserve 8 supercharges. Upon compactification to 4 dimensions they reduce to $\mathcal N=2$ supersymmetric $\rm AdS_2 \times S^2$ solutions with electric and magnetic Maxwell fluxes. These type IIB supergravity solutions can be found from the undeformed $\rm AdS_3 \times S^3 \times T^4$ backgro…
We use a geometric approach to construct a flux formulation for the SL(5) U-duality manifest exceptional field theory. The resulting formalism is well-suited for studying gauged supergravities with geometric and non-geometric fluxes. Here we describe all such fluxes for both M-theory and IIB supergravity including the Ramond-Ramond fields for compactifications to seven dimensions. We define the locally non-geometric "R-flux" and globally non-geometric "Q-flux" for M-theory and find a new locally non-geometric R-flux for the IIB theory. We show how these non-geometric fluxes can be understood g…
The primary focus of this thesis is to investigate the mathematical and physical properties of spaces that are related by T-duality and its generalisations. In string theory, T-duality is a relationship between two a priori different string backgrounds which nevertheless behave identically from a physical point of view. These backgrounds can have different geometries, different fluxes, and even be topologically distinct manifolds. T-duality is a uniquely `stringy' phenomenon, since it does not occur in a theory of point particles, and together with other dualities has been incredibly useful in…
Compactifications in duality covariant constructions such as generalised geometry and double field theory have proven to be suitable frameworks to reproduce gauged supergravities containing non-geometric fluxes. However, it is a priori unclear whether these approaches only provide a reformulation of old results, or also contain new physics. To address this question, we classify the T- and U-duality orbits of gaugings of (half-)maximal supergravities in dimensions seven and higher. It turns out that all orbits have a geometric supergravity origin in the maximal case, while there are non-geometr…
In this paper we describe the heterotic dual of the type IIB theory compactified to four dimensions on a toroidal orientifold in the presence of fluxes. The type IIB background is most easily described in terms of an M-theory compactification on a four-fold. The heterotic dual is obtained by performing a series of U-dualities. We argue that these dualities preserve supersymmetry and that the supergravity description is valid after performing them. The heterotic string is compactified on a manifold that is no longer Kahler and has torsion. These manifolds have to satisfy a number of constraints…
We derive new consistency conditions for string compactifications with generic fluxes (RR, NSNS, geometrical) and localized sources (D-branes, NS-branes, KK-monopoles). The constraints are all related by string dualities and share a common origin in M-theory. We also find new sources of instabilities. We discuss the importance of these conditions for the consistency of the effective action and for the study of interpolating solutions between vacua.
Although the introduction of generalised and extended geometry has been motivated mainly by the appearance of dualities upon reductions on tori, it has until now been unclear how (all) the duality transformations arise from first principles in extended geometry. A proposal for solving this problem is given in the framework of double field theory. It is based on a clearly defined extension of the definition of gauge symmetry by isometries of an underlying pseudo-Riemannian manifold. The ensuing relation between transformations of coordinates and fields, which is now derived from first principle…
In the first part of this article, the geometry of Lie algebroids as well as the Moyal-Weyl star product and some of its generalizations in open string theory are reviewed. A brief introduction to T-duality and non-geometric fluxes is given. Based on these foundations, more recent results are discussed in the second part of the article. On the world-sheet level, we will analyse closed string theory with flat background and constant H-flux. After an odd number of T-dualities, correlation functions allow to extract a three-product having a pattern similar to the Moyal-Weyl product. We then focus…
The aim of this paper is to make progress in the understanding of the Scherk-Schwarz dimensional reduction in terms of a compactification in the presence of background fluxes and torsion. From the eleven dimensional supergravity point of view, we find that a general E6(6) S-S phase may be obtained by turning on an appropriate background torsion, together with suitable fluxes, some of which can be directly identified with certain components of the four-form field-strength. Furthermore, we introduce a novel (four dimensional) approach to the study of dualities between flux/torsion compactificati…
We consider the ${\cal N}=1$ superpotential generated in type-II orientifold models by non-geometric fluxes. In particular, we focus on the family of $P$ fluxes, that are related by T-duality transformations to the S-dual of the $Q$ flux. We determine the general rule that transforms a given flux in this family under a single T-duality transformation. This rule allows to derive a complete expression for the superpotential for both the IIA and the IIB theory for the particular case of a $T^6/[\mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2 ]$ orientifold. We then consider how these fluxes modify the generalis…
We study the Scherk-Schwarz reduction of D=11 supergravity with background fluxes in the context of a recently developed framework pertaining to D=11 supergravity. We derive the embedding tensor of the associated four-dimensional maximal gauged theories directly from eleven dimensions by exploiting the generalised vielbein postulates, and by analysing the couplings of the full set of 56 electric and magnetic gauge fields to the generalised vielbeine. The treatment presented here will apply more generally to other reductions of $D=11$ supergravity to maximal gauged theories in four dimensions.
In this letter we generalised the procedure of non-abelian T-duality based on a B-shift and a sequence of formal abelian T-dualities in non-isometric directions to 11-dimensional backgrounds. This consists of a C-shift followed by either a formal U-duality transformation or taking a IIB section. We investigate restrictions and applicability of the procedure and find that it can provide supergravity solutions for the SL(5) exceptional Drinfeld algebra only when a spectator field is present, which is consistent with examples known in the literature.
We study closed bosonic strings propagating both in a flat background with constant H-flux and in its T-dual configurations. We define a conformal field theory capturing linear effects in the flux and compute scattering amplitudes of tachyons, where the Rogers dilogarithm plays a prominent role. For the scattering of four tachyons, a fluxed version of the Virasoro-Shapiro amplitude is derived and its pole structure is analyzed. In the case of an R-flux background obtained after three T-dualities, we find indications for a nonassociative target-space structure which can be described in terms of…
An interesting consequence of string dualities is that they reveal situations where the geometry of a string background appears to be globally ill-defined, a phenomenon usually referred to as non-geometry. On the other hand, string theory contains extended objects with non-trivial monodromy around them, often dubbed defect or exotic branes in co-dimension two. We determine and examine the worldvolume actions and the couplings of certain such branes. In particular, based on specific chains of T and S-dualities, we derive the DBI and WZ actions, which describe the dynamics of type IIB fivebranes…
We construct Calabi-Yau geometries with wrapped D6 branes which realize ${\cal N}=1$ supersymmetric $A_r$ quiver theories, and study the corresponding geometric transitions. This also yields new large $N$ dualities for topological strings generalizing topological strings/large $N$ Chern-Simons duality. Lifting up to M-theory yields smooth quantum geometric transitions without branes or fluxes, in the context of $G_2$ holonomy manifolds. In addition we construct a linear sigma model realization which is relevant for the worldsheet theory of superstrings propagating in local manifolds with $G_2$…
We consider a class of super-conformal beta-deformed N=1 gauge theories dual to string theory on $AdS_5 \times X$ with fluxes, where $X$ is a deformed Sasaki-Einstein manifold. The supergravity backgrounds are explicit examples of Generalised Calabi-Yau manifolds: the cone over $X$ admits an integrable generalised complex structure in terms of which the BPS sector of the gauge theory can be described. The moduli spaces of the deformed toric N=1 gauge theories are studied on a number of examples and are in agreement with the moduli spaces of D3 and D5 static and dual giant probes.
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 the issue of the classical moduli space for N=2, U(N_1)x ... x U(N_n) theories deformed by a general superpotential for the adjoint and bifundamental fields. The N=1 geometries in type IIB and its T-dual brane configurations are presented and they agree with the field theory analysis. We investigate the geometric transitions in the ten dimensional theories …
The Bianchi identities for bosonic fluxes in supergravity can receive higher derivative quantum and string corrections, the most well known being that of Heterotic theory $d H = \tfrac{1}{4}α'(\text{tr } F^2 - \text{tr } R^2)$. Less studied are the modifications at order $R^4$ that may arise, for example, in the Bianchi identity for the seven-form flux of M theory compactifications. We argue that such corrections appear to be incompatible with the exceptional generalised geometry description of the lower order supergravity, and seem to imply a gauge algebra for the bosonic potentials that cann…
An extended field theory is presented that captures the full SL(2) x O(6,6+n) duality group of four-dimensional half-maximal supergravities. The theory has section constraints whose two inequivalent solutions correspond to minimal D=10 supergravity and chiral half-maximal D=6 supergravity, respectively coupled to vector and tensor multiplets. The relation with O(6,6+n) (heterotic) double field theory is thoroughly discussed. Non-Abelian interactions as well as background fluxes are captured by a deformation of the generalised diffeomorphisms. Finally, making use of the SL(2) duality structure,…
