We study orbifolds by permutations of two identical N=2 minimal models within the Gepner construction of four dimensional heterotic strings. This is done using the new N=2 supersymmetric permutation orbifold building blocks we have recently developed. We compare our results with the old method of modding out the full string partition function. The overlap between these two approaches is surprisingly small, but whenever a comparison can be made we find complete agreement. The use of permutation building blocks allows us to use the complete arsenal of simple current techniques that is available for standard Gepner models, vastly extending what could previously be done for permutation orbifolds. In particular, we consider (0,2) models, breaking of SO(10) to subgroups, weight-lifting for the minimal models and B-L lifting. Some previously observed phenomena, for example concerning family number quantization, extend to this new class as well, and in the lifted models three family models occur with abundance comparable to two or four.
A systematic study of "lifted" Gepner models is presented. Lifted Gepner models are obtained from standard Gepner models by replacing one of the N=2 building blocks and the $E_8$ factor by a modular isomorphic $N=0$ model on the bosonic side of the heterotic string. The main result is that after this change three family models occur abundantly, in sharp contrast to ordinary Gepner models. In particular, more than 250 new and unrelated moduli spaces of three family models are identified. We discuss the occurrence of fractionally charged particles in these spectra.
We study non-compact Gepner models that preserve sixteen or eight supercharges in type II string theories. In particular, we develop an orbifolded Landau-Ginzburg description of these models analogous to the Landau-Ginzburg formulation of compact Gepner models. The Landau-Ginzburg description provides an easy and direct access to the geometry of the singularity associated to the non-compact Gepner models. Using these tools, we are able to give an intuitive account of the chiral rings of the models, and of the massless moduli in particular. By studying orbifolds of the singular linear dilaton m…
On the sad occasion of contributing to the memorial volume ``Fundamental Interactions'' for my teacher Wolfgang Kummer I decided to recollect and extend some unpublished notes from the mid 90s when I started to build up a string theory group in Vienna under Wolfgang as head of the particle physics group. His extremely supportive attitude was best expressed by his saying that one should let all flowers flourish. I hope that these notes will be useful in particular in view of the current renewed interest in heterotic model building. The content of this contribution is based on the bridge between…
We study a natural generalization of that given in [arXiv:2005.13198 [hep-th]] to heterotic string. Namely, starting from the generic Gepner models for Calabi-Yau 3-folds, we construct the non-SUSY heterotic string vacua with the vanishing cosmological constant at the one loop. We especially focus on the asymmetric orbifolding based on some discrete subgroup of the chiral $U(1)$-action which acts on both of the Gepner model and the $SO(32)$ or $E_8\times E_8$-sector. We present a classification of the relevant orbifold models leading to the string vacua with the properties mentioned above. In …
We consider configurations of stacks of orientifold planes and D-branes wrapped on a non trivial internal space of the structure {(Gepner model)^{c=3n} x T^{2(3-n)}}/Z_N, for n=1,2,3. By performing simple moddings by discrete symmetries of Gepner models at orienti fold points, consistent with a Z_N orbifold action, we show that projection on D-brane configurations can be achieved, generically leading to chiral gauge theories. Either supersymmetric or non-supersymmetric (tachyon free) models can be obtained. We illustrate the procedure through some explicit examples.
As a further elaboration of the proposal of Ref. [1] we address the construction of Standard-like models from configurations of stacks of orientifold planes and D-branes on an internal space with the structure ${(Gepner model)^{c=6} \times T^2}/Z_N$. As a first step, the construction of D=6 Type II B orientifolds on Gepner points, in the diagonal invariant case and for both, odd and even, affine levels is discussed. We build up the explicit expressions for B-type boundary states and crosscaps and obtain the amplitudes among them. From such amplitudes we read the corresponding spectra and the t…
We represent free-field construction of boundary states in Gepner models basing on free-field realization of N=2 superconformal minimal models. Using this construction we consider the open string spectrum between the boundary states and show that it can be described in terms of Malikov, Schechtman, Vaintrob chiral de Rham complex of the Landau- Ginzburg orbifold. It allows to establish direct relation of the open string spectrum for boundary states in Gepner models to the open string spectrum for fractional branes in Landau-Ginzburg orbifolds. The example of $1^{3}$ model considered in details…
In string-inspired semi-realistic heterotic orbifolds models with an anomalous $U(1)_X$, a nonzero Kobayashi-Masakawa (KM) phase is shown to arise generically from the expectation values of complex scalar fields, which appear in nonrenormalizable quark mass couplings. Modular covariant nonrenormalizable superpotential couplings are constructed. A toy $Z_3$ orbifold model is analyzed in some detail. Modular symmetries and orbifold selection rules are taken into account and do not lead to a cancellation of the KM phase. We also discuss attempts to obtain the KM phase solely from renormalizable i…
The geometry of $k^{K}$ Gepner model, where $k+2=2K$ is investigated by free-field representation known as "$bc\bet\gm$"-system. Using this representation it is shown directly that internal sector of the model is given by Landau-Ginzburg $\mathbb{C}^{K}/\mathbb{Z}_{2K}$-orbifold. Then we consider the deformation of the orbifold by marginal anti-chiral-chiral operator. Analyzing the holomorphic sector of the deformed space of states we show that it has chiral de Rham complex structure of some toric manifold, where toric dates are given by certain fermionic screening currents. It allows to relat…
We review extensions by integer spin simple currents in two-dimensional conformal field theories and their applications in string theory. In particular, we study the problem of resolving the fixed points of a simple current and apply the formalism to the permutation orbifold. In terms of string compactifications, we construct permutations of N=2 minimal models and use them as building blocks in heterotic Gepner models.
We develop techniques to compute the complete the massless spectrum in heterotic string compactification on N=2 supersymmetric Landau-Ginzburg orbifolds. This includes not just the familiar charged fields, but also the gauge singlets. The number of gauge singlets can vary in the moduli space of a given compactification and can differ from what it would be in the large radius limit of the corresponding Calabi-Yau. Comparison with exactly soluble Gepner models provides a confirmation of our results at Gepner points. Our methods carry over straightforwardly to $(0,2)$ Landau-Ginzburg models.
We investigate asymmetric orbifold models constructed from non-supersymmetric heterotic strings. We systematically classify the asymmetric orbifold models with standard embeddings and present a list of asymmetric orbifolds which are geometrically interpreted as toroidal compactifications of non-supersymmetric heterotic strings. By studying non-standard embedding models, we also construct examples of the {\em supersymmetric} asymmetric orbifold models based on non-supersymmetric heterotic strings.
We study heterotic asymmetric orbifold models. By utilizing the lattice engineering technique, we classify (22,6)-dimensional Narain lattices with right-moving non-Abelian group factors which can be starting points for Z3 asymmetric orbifold construction. We also calculate gauge symmetry breaking patterns.
Heterotic orbifold models are promising candidates for models with MSSM like spectra. But orbifolds only correspond to a special place in moduli space, the bigger picture is described by the moduli space of Calabi-Yau spaces. In this talk we will make explicit connections between both points of view. To this end we study blowups of orbifold singularities using both explicit constructions and toric geometry techniques. We show that matching of all orbifold models in blowups are possible.
Following the recent exploration of smooth heterotic compactifications with unitary bundles, orbifold compactifications in six dimensions can be shown to correspond in the blow-up to compactifications with U(1) gauge backgrounds. A powerful tool is the comparison of anomaly polynomials. The presentation here focuses on heterotic SO(32) compactifications in six dimensions including five-branes. Four dimensional and E8 x E8 models are briefly commented on.
We obtain the spectrum of heterotic strings compactified on orbifolds, focusing on its algebraic structure. Affine Lie algebra provides its current algebra and representations. In particular the twisted spectrum and the Abelian charge are understood. The twisted version of algebra is used in the homomorphism from the orbifold action to the group action. The relation between the conformal weight and the mass gives a handy rule.
I consider the construction of heterotic orbifold models based on a toroidal orbifold with non Abelian point group. I construct an explicit model based on the point group $S_3$ and calculate the spectrum and remnant symmetries. This model provides a simple example of rank reduction of the Yang--Mills gauge group directly in the string theory rather than in the effective field theory.
We analyze the structure of heterotic M-theory on K3 orbifolds by presenting a comprehensive sequence of M-theoretic models constructed on the basis of local anomaly cancellation. This is facilitated by extending the technology developed in our previous papers to allow one to determine "twisted" sector states in non-prime orbifolds. These methods should naturally generalize to four-dimensional models, which are of potential phenomenological interest.
The orbifolder is a program developed in C++ that computes and analyzes the low-energy effective theory of heterotic orbifold compactifications. The program includes routines to compute the massless spectrum, to identify the allowed couplings in the superpotential, to automatically generate large sets of orbifold models, to identify phenomenologically interesting models (e.g. MSSM-like models) and to analyze their vacuum-configurations.
We study the bulk effective theory of a class of orbifolds of the type IIB string with D5-branes, compactified to four dimensions. These constructions are connected, in a region of their moduli space, to some orbifolds of the type I and heterotic string. We compare the effective actions through the coupling of the R^2 term, and we argue that these orbifolds provide non-perturbative deformations of the latter, in which the gauge group is entirely non-perturbative.
We consider toroidal asymmetric orbifolds of the heterotic string preserving all 16 supercharges, developing a general formalism to study components of the moduli space characterized by rank reduction of the gauge group. In particular we construct six- and four-dimensional heterotic islands with no massless moduli other than the dilaton. The formalism involves the Leech lattice, its automorphisms and their corresponding invariant and normal, or coinvariant, sublattices.
We investigate resolutions of heterotic orbifolds using toric geometry. Our starting point is provided by the recently constructed heterotic models on explicit blowup of C^n/Z_n singularities. We show that the values of the relevant integrals, computed there, can be obtained as integrals of divisors (complex codimension one hypersurfaces) interpreted as (1,1)-forms in toric geometry. Motivated by this we give a self contained introduction to toric geometry for non-experts, focusing on those issues relevant for the construction of heterotic models on toric orbifold resolutions. We illustrate th…
We summarize the results obtained in the last few years about permutation orbifolds in two-dimensional conformal field theories, their application to string theory and their use in the construction of four-dimensional heterotic string models.
We study kinetic mixing between massless U(1) gauge symmetries in the bosonic formulation of heterotic orbifold compactifications. For non-prime Z_N factorisable orbifolds, we find a simple expression of the mixing in terms of the properties of the N=2 subsectors, which helps understand under what conditions mixing can occur. With this tool, we analyse Z_6-II heterotic orbifolds and find non-vanishing mixing even without including Wilson lines. We show that some semi-realistic models of the Mini-Landscape admit supersymmetric vacua with mixing between the hypercharge and an additional U(1), wh…
By studying phase transitions in supersymmetric gauge theories with Green-Schwarz anomaly cancellation, a natural relation is found between sigma models on certain non-Kahler manifolds with intrinsic torsion and asymmetric Landau-Ginzburg orbifolds. In these orbifold limits, a quantum anomaly of the orbifold action is cancelled by discrete phases in the partition function. These intrinsic torsion phases are derived by blowing down cycles supporting non-trivial H-flux in the linear model. This correspondence extends the CY-LG correspondence to special non-Kahler manifolds and provides computati…
By fibering the duality between the $E_{8}\times E_{8}$ heterotic string on $T^{3}$ and M-theory on K3, we study heterotic duals of M-theory compactified on $G_{2}$ orbifolds of the form $T^{7}/\mathbb{Z}_{2}^{3}$. While the heterotic compactification space is straightforward, the description of the gauge bundle is subtle, involving the physics of point-like instantons on orbifold singularities. By comparing the gauge groups of the dual theories, we deduce behavior of a "half-$G_{2}$" limit, which is the M-theory analog of the stable degeneration limit of F-theory. The heterotic backgrounds ex…
We show how the level matching condition in six dimensional, abelian and supersymmetric orbifolds of the E_8 x E_8 heterotic string can be given equivalently in terms of fractional gauge and gravitational instanton numbers. This relation is used to restate the classification of the orbifolds in terms of flat bundles away from the orbifold singularities under the constraint of the level matching condition. In an outlook these results are applied to Kaluza-Klein monopoles of the heterotic string on S^1 in Wilson line backgrounds.
We review recent results on string coupling selection rules for heterotic orbifolds, derived using conformal field theory. Such rules are the first step towards understanding the viability of the recently obtained compactifications with potentially realistic particle spectra. They arise from the properties of the worldsheet instantons that mediate the couplings, and include stringy effects that would seem 'miraculous' to an effective field theory observer.
We consider properties of the CKM phase in the heterotic orbifold models. We find that at the renormalizable level the CKM phase vanishes identically for the prime orbifolds, whereas it can be non-zero for some non-prime orbifolds. In particular, we study in detail the Z_6-I orbifold which allows for a non-trivial CKM phase and analyze the modular properties of the corresponding Jarlskog invariant. The CKM phase is shown to vanish if the moduli fields are stabilized at Im T_i=\pm 1/2.
We provide a new class of Z_N x Z_M heterotic orbifolds on non-factorisable tori, whose boundary conditions are defined by Lie lattices. Generally, point groups of these orbifolds are generated by Weyl reflections and outer automorphisms of the lattices. We classify abelian orbifolds with and without discrete torsion. Then we find that some of these models have smaller Euler numbers than those of models on factorisable tori T^2 x T^2 x T^2. There is a possibility that these orbifolds provide smaller generation numbers of N=1 chiral matter fields than factorisable models.
To obtain a unified framework for symmetric and asymmetric heterotic orbifold constructions we provide a systematic study of Narain compactifications orbifolded by finite order T-duality subgroups. We review the generalized vielbein that parametrizes the Narain moduli space (i.e. the metric, the B-field and the Wilson lines) and introduce a convenient basis of generators of the heterotic T-duality group. Using this we generalize the space group description of orbifolds to Narain orbifolds. This yields a unified, crystallographic description of the orbifold twists, shifts as well as Narain modu…
In this article we discuss a construction of non-SUSY type II string vacua with the vanishing cosmological constant at the one loop level based on the generic Gepner models for Calabi-Yau 3-folds. We make an orbifolding of the Gepner models by $Z_2 \times Z_4$, which asymmetrically acts with some discrete torsions incorporated. We demonstrate that the obtained type II string vacua indeed lead to the vanishing cosmological constant at the one loop, whereas any space-time supercharges cannot be constructed as long as assuming the chiral forms such as '$Q^α_L \equiv \oint dz J_L^α(z)$'. We furthe…
We study spontaneous gauge symmetry breaking in the framework of orbifold compactifcations of heterotic string theory. In particular we investigate the electroweak symmetry breakdown via the Higgs mechanism. Such a breakdown can be achieved by continuous Wilson lines. Exploiting the geometrical properties of this scheme we develop a new technique which simplifies the analysis used in previous discussions.
We study compactification of heterotic strings to three dimensions on orbifolds of G_2 holonomy. We consider the standard embedding and show that the gauge group is broken from E_8 x E_8 or SO(32) to F_4 x E_8 or SO(25) respectively. We also compute the spectrum of massless states and compare with the results obtained from reduction of the 10-dimensional fields. Non-standard embeddings are discussed briefly. For type II compactifications we verify that IIB and IIA have equal massless spectrum.
Using Z3 asymmetric orbifolds in heterotic string theory, we construct N=1 SUSY three-generation models with the standard model gauge group SU(3)_C \times SU(2)_L \times U(1)_Y and the left-right symmetric group SU(3)_C \times SU(2)_L \times SU(2)_R \times U(1)_{B-L}. One of the models possesses a gauge flavor symmetry for the Z3 twisted matter.
In tensor products of a left-right symmetric CFT, one can define permutation orientifolds by combining orientation reversal with involutive permutation symmetries. We construct the corresponding crosscap states in general rational CFTs and their orbifolds, and study in detail those in products of affine U(1)_2 models or N=2 minimal models. The results are used to construct permutation orientifolds of Gepner models. We list the permutation orientifolds in a few simple Gepner models, and study some of their physical properties - supersymmetry, tension and RR charges. We also study the action of …
We study systematically the possibility for realizing realistic values of quark mass ratios $m_c/m_t$ and $m_s/m_b$ and the mixing angle $V_{cb}$ by using only renormalizable Yukawa couplings derived from heterotic orbifold models. We assume one pair of up and down sector Higgs fields. We show realistic examples including hierarchical and democratic forms of Yukawa matrices.
We explore a ``fertile patch'' of the heterotic landscape based on a Z_6-II orbifold with SO(10) and E_6 local GUT structures. We search for models allowing for the exact MSSM spectrum. Our result is that of order 100 out of a total 3\times 10^4 inequivalent models satisfy this requirement.
We derive the precise relation between level matching condition and fractional instanton numbers in six dimensional, abelian and supersymmetric orbifolds of E8 x E8 heterotic string theory. The fractional part of the two E8 instanton numbers is explicitly calculated in terms of the gauge twist. This relation is then used to show that the classification of these orbifolds can be given in terms of flat bundles away from the orbifold singularities under the only constraint that the sum of the fractional parts of the gauge instanton numbers match the fractional part of the gravitational instanton …
We calculate the moduli dependent part of string one-loop threshold corrections to gauge couplings for the heterotic string theory compactified on abelian toroidal orbifolds, allowing for arbitrary discrete Wilson lines. We show that the knowledge of threshold corrections for any such compactification is equivalent to solving a class of integrals. We solve a sub-class of these integrals and show how any model can be mapped onto this class by fractional linear transformations of its fixed plane moduli. Modular symmetries of the final expression are discussed.
The existence of multiple anomalous U(1)s is demonstrated explicitly in a blow-up version of a heterotic Z_3 orbifold. Another blow-up of the same orbifold supports further evidence for the type-I/heterotic duality in four dimensions. It has a single anomalous U(1) which does not factorize universally. As multiple anomalous U(1)s as well as non-universal factorization have never been established on heterotic orbifolds explicitely, these findings might appear contradictory at first sight. Possible inconsistencies are avoided by reinterpreting a charged twisted state as a second non-universal lo…
The three generation heterotic-string models in the free fermionic formulation are among the most realistic string vacua constructed to date, which motivated their detailed investigation. The classification of free fermion heterotic string vacua has revealed a duality under the exchange of spinor and vector representations of the SO(10) GUT symmetry over the space of models. We demonstrate the existence of the spinor-vector duality using orbifold techniques, and elaborate on the relation of these vacua to free fermionic models.
Asymmetric heterotic orbifolds are discussed from the worldsheet perspective. Starting from Buscher's gauging of a theory of D compact bosons the duality covariant description of Tseytlin is obtained after a non-Lorentz invariant gauge fixing. A left-over of the gauge symmetry can be used to removed the doubled constant zero modes so that D physical target space coordinate remain. This can be thought of as the worldsheet realization of the strong constraint of double field theory. The extension of this description to the heterotic theory is straightforward as all results are written in terms o…
An explicit orbifold example of the non-zero correlation functions related to the additional contribution to the induced mass term for Higgs particles at low energies is given. We verify that they form finite dimensional representations of the target space modular transformation $SL_2(Z)$. This action of the modular group is shown to be consistent with its action on the fixed points set defining the twisted fields.
Aiming at improving our knowledge of the low-energy limit of heterotic orbifold compactifications, we determine at lowest order the Kahler potential of matter fields in the case where more than three bulk Kahler moduli appear. Interestingly, bulk matter fields couple to more than one Kahler modulus, a subtle difference with models with only three Kahler moduli that may provide a tool to address the question of moduli stabilization in these models.
We complete our search for MSSM vacua in the Z_6-II heterotic orbifold by including models with 3 Wilson lines. We estimate the total number of inequivalent models in this orbifold to be 10^7. Out of these, we find almost 300 models with the exact MSSM spectrum, gauge coupling unification and a heavy top quark. Models with these features originate predominantly from local GUTs. The scale of gaugino condensation in the hidden sector is correlated with properties of the observable sector such that soft masses in the TeV range are preferred.
Heterotic orbifolds provide promising constructions of MSSM-like models in string theory. We investigate the connection of such orbifold models with smooth Calabi-Yau compactifications by examining resolutions of the T^6/Z6-II orbifold (which are far from unique) with Abelian gauge fluxes. These gauge backgrounds are topologically characterized by weight vectors of twisted states; one per fixed point or fixed line. The VEV's of these states generate the blowup from the orbifold perspective, and they reappear as axions on the blowup. We explain methods to solve the 24 resolution dependent Bianc…
We present several examples of T^8/P orbifolds with $P \subset SU(4)$. We compute their Hodge numbers and consider turning on discrete torsion. We then study supersymmetric compactifications of type II, heterotic, and type I strings on these orbifolds. Heterotic compactifications to D=2 have a B-field tadpole with coefficient given by that of the anomaly polynomial. In the SO(32) heterotic with standard embedding the tadpole is absent provided the internal space has a precise value of the Euler number. Guided by their relation to type I, we find tadpole-free SO(32) heterotic orbifolds with non…
We use deep autoencoder neural networks to draw a chart of the heterotic $\mathbb{Z}_6$-II orbifold landscape. Even though the autoencoder is trained without knowing the phenomenological properties of the $\mathbb{Z}_6$-II orbifold models, we are able to identify fertile islands in this chart where phenomenologically promising models cluster. Then, we apply a decision tree to our chart in order to extract the defining properties of the fertile islands. Based on this information we propose a new search strategy for phenomenologically promising string models.
The moduli space of the maximally supersymmetric heterotic string in d-dimensional Minkowski space contains various components characterized by the rank of the gauge symmetries of the vacua they parametrize. We develop an approach for describing in a unified way continuous Wilson lines which parametrize a component of the moduli space, together with discrete deformations responsible for the switch from one component to the other. Applied to a component that contains vacua with SO(2n+1) gauge-symmetry factors, our approach yields a description of all backgrounds of the component in terms of fre…
