We study moduli stabilization for type IIB orientifold compactifications on Calabi-Yau three-folds with (non-)geometric fluxes. For this setting it is possible to stabilize all closed-string moduli classically without the need for non-perturbative contributions, and examples of stable de-Sitter constructions can be found in the literature which violate a prominent swampland conjecture. In this paper we derive general properties of non-geometric flux-compactifications, we argue that the contribution of fluxes to the tadpole cancellation conditions should be similar to D-branes (and not anti-D-branes), and we exclude supersymmetric Minkowski vacua for certain cases. We also reassess known stable de-Sitter constructions with (non-)geometric H-, F-, Q- and R-fluxes and argue that these are not consistent in string theory.
In this note I demonstrate that certain findings on IIB flux compactifications in the large complex structure limit, when combined with recent statistical bounds on the large $h^{2,1}$ limit, are compatible with the Tadpole Conjecture, contrary to previous claims.
We consider flux vacua for type IIB orientifold compactifications and study their interplay with the tadpole-cancellation condition. As a concrete example we focus on $\mathbb T^6/\mathbb Z_2\times \mathbb Z_2$, for which we find that solutions to the F-term equations at weak coupling, large complex structure and large volume require large flux contributions. Such contributions are however strongly disfavored by the tadpole-cancellation condition. We furthermore find that solutions which stabilize moduli in this perturbatively-controlled regime are only a very small fraction of all solutions, …
On the Type IIB toroidal T^6 orientifolds with generic flux compactifications, we conjecture that in generic supsersymmetric Minkowski vacua, at least one of the flux contributions to the seven-brane and D3-brane tadpoles is positive if the moduli are stabilized properly, and then the tadpole cancellation conditions can not be relaxed. To study the supsersymmetric Minkowski flux vacua, we simplify the fluxes reasonably and discuss the corresponding superpotential. We show that we can not have simultaneously the positive real parts of all the moduli and the negative/zero flux contributions to a…
We investigate the vacuum structure of four-dimensional effective theory arising from Type IIB flux compactifications on a mirror of the rigid Calabi-Yau threefold, corresponding to a T-dual of the DeWolfe-Giryavets-Kachru-Taylor model in Type IIA flux compactifications. By analyzing the vacuum structure of this interesting corner of string landscape, it turns out that there exist perturbatively unstable de Sitter (dS) vacua in addition to supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric anti-de Sitter vacua. On the other hand, the stable dS vacua appearing in the low-energy effective action violate the …
We analyze non-supersymmetric four dimensional open string models of type IIB string theory compactified on $T^2\times K3$ with Scherk-Schwarz deformation acting on an $S^1$ of the $T^2$ torus. We find that there are always two solutions to the tadpole conditions that are shown to be connected via Wilson lines in an non-trivial way. These models although non-supersymmetric, are free of R-R and NS-NS tadpoles.
D7-brane moduli are stabilized by worldvolume fluxes, which contribute to the D3-brane tadpole. We calculate this contribution in the Type IIB limit of F-theory compactifications on Calabi-Yau four-folds with a weak Fano base, and are able to prove a no-go theorem for vast swathes of the landscape of compactifications. When the genus of the curve dual to the D7 worldvolume fluxes is fixed and the number of moduli grows, we find that the D3 charge sourced by the fluxes grows faster than 7/16 of the number of moduli, which supports the Tadpole Conjecture of Ref.~\cite{Bena:2020xrh}. Our lower bo…
We describe how unbounded three--form fluxes can lead to families of $AdS_3 \times S_7$ vacua, with constant dilaton profiles, in the $USp(32)$ model with "brane supersymmetry breaking" and in the $U(32)$ 0'B model, if their (projective--)disk dilaton tadpoles are taken into account. We also describe how, in the $SO(16) \times SO(16)$ heterotic model, if the torus vacuum energy $Λ$ is taken into account, unbounded seven--form fluxes can support similar $AdS_7 \times S_3$ vacua, while unbounded three--form fluxes, when combined with internal gauge fields, can support $AdS_3 \times S_7$ vacua, w…
We construct global orientifold limits of singular $F$-theory vacua whose associated gauge groups are SO(3), SO(5), SO(6), $F_4$, SU(4), and Spin(7). For each limit we show a universal tadpole relation is satisfied, which is a homological identity whose dimension-zero component encodes the matching of the D3 charge between each $F$-theory compactification and its orientifold limit. While for smooth $F$-theory compactifications which admit global orientifold limits the contribution to the associated universal tadpole relation comes from its Chern class, we show that for all singular $F$-theory …
The tadpole conjecture suggests that the complete stabilization of complex structure deformations in Type IIB and F-theory flux compactifications is severely obstructed by the tadpole bound on the fluxes. More precisely, it states that the stabilization of a large number of moduli requires a flux background with a tadpole that scales linearly in the number of stabilized fields. Restricting to the asymptotic regions of the complex structure moduli space, we give the first conceptual argument that explains this linear scaling setting and clarifies why it sets in only for a large number of stabil…
We revisit moduli stabilization on Calabi-Yau manifolds with a discrete symmetry. Invariant fluxes allow for a truncation to a symmetric locus in complex structure moduli space and hence drastically reduce the moduli stabilization problem in its dimensionality. This makes them an ideal testing ground for the tadpole conjecture. For a large class of fourfolds, we show that an invariant flux with non-zero on-shell superpotential on the symmetric locus necessarily stabilizes at least 60% of the complex structure moduli. In case this invariant flux induces a relatively small tadpole, it is thus po…
We present compact three-generation F-theory GUT models meeting in particular the constraints of D3-tadpole cancellation and D-term supersymmetry. To this end we explicitly construct elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau fourfolds as complete intersections in a toric ambient space. Toric methods enable us to control the singular geometry of the SU(5) GUT model. The GUT brane wraps a non-generic del Pezzo surface admitting GUT symmetry breaking via hypercharge flux. It is contractible to a curve and we demonstrate the existence of a consistent decoupling limit. We compute the Euler characteristic of …
We investigate the emergence of supersymmetric negative-vacuum-energy ground states in four dimensions. First, we rely on the analysis of the effective superpotential, which depends on the background fluxes of the internal manifold, or equivalently has its origin in the underlying gauged supergravity. Four-dimensional, supersymmetric anti-de Sitter vacua with all moduli stabilized appear when appropriate Ramond and Neveu--Schwarz fluxes are introduced in IIA. Geometric fluxes are not necessary. Then the whole setup is analyzed from the perspective of the sources, namely D/NS-branes or Kaluza--…
In this work we classify the subalgebras satisfied by non-geometric Q-fluxes in type IIB orientifolds on T^6/(Z_2 x Z_2) with three moduli (S,T,U). We find that there are five subalgebras compatible with the symmetries, each one leading to a characteristic flux-induced superpotential. Working in the 4-dimensional effective supergravity we obtain families of supersymmetric AdS_4 vacua with all moduli stabilized at small string coupling g_s. Our results are mostly analytic thanks to a judicious parametrization of the non-geometric, RR and NSNS fluxes. We are also able to leave the flux-induced C…
In this note, we review our construction of de Sitter vacua in type IIB flux compactifications, in which moduli stabilization and D-term uplifting can be combined consistently with the supergravity constraints. Here, the closed string fluxes fix the dilaton and the complex structure moduli while perturbative quantum corrections to the Kähler potential stabilize the volume Kahler modulus in an AdS_4-vacuum. Then, magnetized D7-branes provide consistent supersymmetric D-term uplifting towards dS_4. Based on hep-th/0602253.
We compute the flux induced tadpole and superpotential in various type IIB $Z_N$ compact orientifolds in order to study moduli stabilization. We find supersymmetric vacua with $g_s < 1$ and describe brane configurations with cancelled tadpoles. In some cases moduli are only partially fixed unless anti D3-branes are included.
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 …
We present a new mechanism, the S-Track, to stabilize the volume modulus S in heterotic M-theory flux compactifications along with the orbifold-size T besides complex structure and vector bundle moduli stabilization. The key dynamical ingredient which makes the volume modulus stabilization possible, is M5-instantons arising from M5-branes wrapping the whole Calabi-Yau slice. These are natural in heterotic M-theory where the warping shrinks the Calabi-Yau volume along S^1/Z_2. Combined with H-flux, open M2-instantons and hidden sector gaugino condensation it leads to a superpotential W which st…
We examine the mechanism of moduli stabilization by fluxes in the limit of a large number of moduli. We conjecture that one cannot stabilize all complex-structure moduli in F-theory at a generic point in moduli space (away from singularities) by fluxes that satisfy the bound imposed by the tadpole cancelation condition. More precisely, while the tadpole bound in the limit of a large number of complex-structure moduli goes like 1/4 of the number of moduli, we conjecture that the amount of charge induced by fluxes stabilizing all moduli grows faster than this, and is therefore larger than the al…
We discuss the construction of six- and four-dimensional Type IIB orientifolds with vanishing untwisted RR tadpoles, but generically non-zero twisted RR tadpoles. Tadpole cancellation requires the introduction of D-brane systems with zero untwisted RR charge, but non-zero twisted RR charges. We construct explicit models containing branes and antibranes at fixed points of the internal space, or non-BPS branes partially wrapped on it. The models are non-supersymmetric, but are absolutely stable against decay to supersymmetric vacua. For particular values of the compactification radii tachyonic m…
We study novel type IIB compactifications on the T^6/Z_2 orientifold. This geometry arises in the T-dual description of Type I theory on T^6, and one normally introduces 16 space-filling D3-branes to cancel the RR tadpoles. Here, we cancel the RR tadpoles either partially or fully by turning on three-form flux in the compact geometry. The resulting (super)potential for moduli is calculable. We demonstrate that one can find many examples of N=1 supersymmetric vacua with greatly reduced numbers of moduli in this system. A few examples with N>1 supersymmetry or complete supersymmetry breaking are…
We classify the possible bosonic and Type 0 unoriented string theories in two dimensions, and find their dual matrix(-vector) models. There are no RP^2 R-R tadpoles in any of the models, but many of them possess a massless tachyon tadpole. Thus all the models we find are consistent two-dimensional string vacua, but some get quantum corrections to their classical tachyon background. Where possible, we solve the tadpole cancellation condition, and find all the tachyon tadpole-free theories.
We study the restrictions imposed by cancellation of the tadpoles for two, three, and four-form gauge fields in string theory, M-theory and F-theory compactified to two, three and four dimensions, respectively. For a large class of supersymmetric vacua, turning on a sufficient number of strings, membranes and three-branes, respectively, can cancel the tadpoles, and preserve supersymmetry. However, there are cases where the tadpole cannot be removed in this way, either because the tadpole is fractional, or because of its sign. For M-theory and F-theory compactifications, we also explore the rel…
We study the vacuum structure of compactifications of type II string theories on orientifolds with SU(3)xSU(3) structure. We argue that generalised geometry enables us to treat these non-geometric compactifications using a supergravity analysis in a way very similar to geometric compactifications. We find supersymmetric Minkowski vacua with all the moduli stabilised at weak string coupling and all the tadpole conditions satisfied. Generically the value of the moduli fields in the vacuum is parametrically controlled and can be taken to arbitrarily large values.
We analyse geometric type IIA flux compactifications leading to N=4 gauged supergravities in four dimensions. The complete landscape of isotropic vacua is presented, which turns out to belong to a unique theory. The solutions admit an uplift to maximal supergravity due to the vanishing of the flux-induced tadpoles for all the supersymmetry-breaking branes. Such an uplift is sketched out and the full N=8 mass spectra are discussed. We find the interesting presence of a non-supersymmetric and nevertheless stable minimum.
While R-R tadpoles should be canceled for consistency, string models with broken supersymmetry generally have uncanceled NS-NS tadpoles. Their presence signals that the background does not solve the field equations, so that these models are in "wrong" vacua. In this letter we investigate, with reference to some prototype examples, whether the true values of physical quantities can be recovered resumming the NS-NS tadpoles, hence by an approach that is related to the analysis based on String Field Theory by open-closed duality. We show that, indeed, the positive classical vacuum energy of a Dp-…
We propose a new type of moduli stabilization scenario where the supersymmetric and supersymmetry-breaking minima are degenerate at the leading level. The inclusion of the loop-corrections originating from the matter fields resolves this degeneracy of vacua. Light axions are predicted in one of our models.
We explicitly construct all supersymmetric flux vacua of a particular Calabi-Yau compactification of type IIB string theory for a small number of flux carrying cycles and a given D3-brane tadpole. The analysis is performed in the large complex structure region by using the polynomial homotopy continuation method, which allows to find all stationary points of the polynomial equations that characterize the supersymmetric vacuum solutions. The number of vacua as a function of the D3 tadpole is in agreement with statistical studies in the literature. We calculate the available tuning of the cosmol…
We consider string theory vacua with tadpoles for dynamical fields and uncover universal features of the resulting spacetime-dependent solutions. We argue that the solutions can extend only a finite distance $Δ$ away in the spacetime dimensions over which the fields vary, scaling as $Δ^n\sim {\cal T}$ with the strength of the tadpole ${\cal T}$. We show that naive singularities arising at this distance scale are physically replaced by ends of spacetime, related to the cobordism defects of the swampland cobordism conjecture and involving stringy ingredients like orientifold planes and branes, o…
It was recently argued that the swampland distance conjecture rules out dS vacua at parametrically large field distances. We point out that this conclusion can in principle be avoided in the presence of large fluxes that are not bounded by a tadpole cancellation condition. We then study this possibility in the concrete setting of classical type IIA flux compactifications with (anti-)O6-planes, (anti-)D6-branes and/or KK monopoles and show that, nonetheless, parametrically controlled dS vacua are strongly constrained. In particular, we find that such dS vacua are ruled out at parametrically lar…
We study moduli stabilization in Calabi-Yau orientifold compactifications of type IIB string theory with O3- and O7-planes. We consider a Calabi-Yau three-fold with Hodge number $h^{2,1}=50$ and stabilize all axio-dilaton and complex-structure moduli by three-form fluxes. This is a challenging task, especially for large moduli-space dimensions. To address this question we develop an algorithm to generate $10^5$ flux vacua with small flux number $N_{\rm flux}$. Based on recent results by Crinò et al. we estimate the bound imposed by the tadpole-cancellation condition as $N_{\rm flux}\leq \mathc…
We demonstrate that flux compactifications of type IIA string theory can classically stabilize all geometric moduli. For a particular orientifold background, we explicitly construct an infinite family of supersymmetric vacua with all moduli stabilized at arbitrarily large volume, weak coupling, and small negative cosmological constant. We obtain these solutions from both ten-dimensional and four-dimensional perspectives. For more general backgrounds, we study the equations for supersymmetric vacua coming from the effective superpotential and show that all geometric moduli can be stabilized by …
We revisit the issue of moduli stabilization in a class of N=1 four dimensional supergravity theories which are low energy descriptions of standard perturbative heterotic string vacua compactified on Calabi-Yau spaces. In particular, we show how it is possible to stabilize the universal dilaton and Kahler moduli in a de Sitter/Minkowski vacuum with low energy supersymmetry breaking by means of non-perturbative gauge dynamics, including recent results by Intriligator, Seiberg and Shih. The non-SUSY vacua are meta-stable but sufficiently long-lived.
We investigate the D-brane contents of asymmetric orbifolds. Using T-duality we find that the consistent description of open strings in asymmetric orbifolds requires to turn on background gauge fields on the D-branes. We derive the corresponding noncommutative geometry arising on such D-branes with mixed Neumann-Dirichlet boundary conditions directly by applying an asymmetric rotation to open strings with pure Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions. As a concrete application of our results we construct asymmetric type I vacua requiring open strings with mixed boundary conditions for tadpole …
We derive the 3D N=1 superpotential for the closed string sector of type IIB supergravity on toroidal O5 orientifolds with co-calibrated G2 structure and RR background flux. We find that such compactifications can provide full closed string moduli stabilization on supersymmetric AdS$_3$ vacua, and once we include brane-supersymmetry-breaking we also find indication for the existence of classical 3D de Sitter solutions. The latter however are rather difficult to reconcile with the shape moduli stabilization and flux quantization. We also discuss the possibility of achieving scale separation in …
Nonlinear supersymmetry is used to compute the general form of the effective D-brane action in type I string theory compactified to four dimensions in the presence of internal magnetic fields. In particular, the scalar potential receives three contributions: (1) a nonlinear part of the D-auxiliary component, associated to the Dirac-Born-Infeld action; (2) a Fayet-Iliopoulos (FI) D-term with a moduli-dependent coefficient; (3) a D-auxiliary independent (but moduli dependent) piece from the D-brane tension. Minimization of this potential leads to three general classes of vacua with moduli stabil…
We study the influence of four-form fluxes on the stabilization of the Kahler moduli in M-theory compactified on a Calabi-Yau four-fold. We find that, under certain non-degeneracy condition on the flux, M5-instantons of a new topological type generate a superpotential. The existence of such an instanton restricts possible four-folds for which the stabilization by this mechanism is expected. These topological constraints on the background are different from the previously known constraints, derived from the flux-free analysis of the nonperturbative effects.
We review some of the features of Type IIA compactifications in the presence of fluxes. In particular, the case of $T^6/(Ω(-1)^{F_L} σ)$ orientifolds with RR, NS and metric fluxes is considered. This has revealed to possess remarkable properties such as vacua with all the closed string moduli stabilized, null or negative contributions to the RR tadpoles or supersymmetry on the branes enforced by the closed string background. In this way, Type IIA compactifications with non trivial fluxes seem to constitute a new window into the building of semi-realistic models in String Theory.
We study models of stabilization near large complex structure in type IIB O3/O7 flux compactifications. We consider a special family of examples with a single nonvanishing Yukawa coupling in the large complex structure limit, which allows us to study all possible stable vacua of the tree-level no-scale potential very explicitly. We find that, by tuning fluxes, both supersymmetric and nonsupersymmetric vacua can be realized at almost any point in the large complex structure moduli space of one-, two-, and three-parameter models. We also consider the effects of stringy corrections on tree-level …
These lectures give a detailed introduction to constructing and analyzing string vacua suitable for phenomenological model building, with particular emphasis on F-theory flux vacua. Topics include (1) general challenges and overview of some proposed scenarios, (2) an extensive introduction to F-theory and its relation to M-theory and perturbative IIB string theory, (3) F-theory flux vacua and moduli stabilization scenarios, (4) a practical geometrical toolkit for constructing string vacua from scratch, (5) statistics of flux vacua, and (6) explicit models.
A complete analysis of orientifold compactifications involving Gepner models that are free fields (k=1,2) is performed. A set of tadpole solutions is found that are variants of a single chiral spectrum. The vacua found have the property that different families have different U(1) charges so that one family cannot obtain masses in perturbation theory. Its masses must come from instantons, allowing for a hierarchy of masses. The phenomenological aspects of such vacua are analyzed.
We present a novel strategy to systematically study complex-structure moduli stabilization in Type IIB and F-theory flux compactifications. In particular, we determine vacua in any asymptotic regime of the complex-structure moduli space by exploiting powerful tools of asymptotic Hodge theory. In a leading approximation the moduli dependence of the vacuum conditions are shown to be polynomial with a dependence given by sl(2)-weights of the fluxes. This simple algebraic dependence can be extracted in any asymptotic regime, even though in nearly all asymptotic regimes essential exponential correc…
We show how non-trivial form fields can induce an effective potential for the dilaton and metric moduli in compactifications of type II string theory and M-theory. For particular configurations, the potential can have a stable minimum. In cosmological compactifications of type II theories, we demonstrate that, if the metric moduli become fixed, this mechanism can then lead to the stabilization of the dilaton vacuum. Furthermore, we show that for certain cosmological M-theory solutions, non-trivial forms lead to the stabilization of moduli. We present a number of examples, including cosmologica…
We construct the first D = 4 Minkowski string theory vacua of flux compactification which are (i) chiral, (ii) free of NSNS and RR tadpoles, and (iii) N = 1 or N = 0 supersymmetric. In the latter case SUSY is softly broken by the fluxes, with soft terms being generated in the gauge and chiral sectors of the theory. In addition, the low energy spectrum of the theory is MSSM-like, the dilaton/complex structure moduli are stabilized and the supergravity background involves a warped metric.
In this paper we consider compactifications of type I strings on Abelian orbifolds. We discuss the tadpole cancellation conditions for the general case with D9-branes only. Such compactifications have (perturbative) heterotic duals which are also realized as orbifolds (with non-standard embedding of the gauge connection). The latter have extra twisted states that become massive once orbifold singularities are blown-up. This is due to the presence of perturbative heterotic superpotential with couplings between the extra twisted states, the orbifold blow-up modes, and (sometimes) untwisted matte…
In this work we analyze the role of $α'$-corrections to type IIB orientifold compactifications in Kähler moduli stabilization and inflation. In particular, we propose a model independent scenario to achieve non-supersymmetric Minkowski and de Sitter vacua for geometric backgrounds with positive Euler-characteristic and generic number of Kähler moduli. The vacua are obtained by a tuning of the flux superpotential. Moreover, in the one-modulus case we argue for a mechanisms to achieve model independent slow-roll.
We show that a class of type IIA vacua recently found within the N=4 effective approach corresponds to compactification on Ads_4 \times S^3 \times S^3/Z_2^3. The results obtained using the effective method completely match the general ten-dimensional analysis for the existence of N=1 warped compactifications on Ads_4 \times M_6. In particular, we verify that the internal metric is nearly-Kahler and that for specific values of the parameters the Bianchi identity of the RR 2-form is fulfilled without sources. For another range of parameters, including the massless case, the Bianchi identity is s…
We discuss the use of gauge fields to stabilize complex structure moduli in Calabi-Yau three-fold compactifications of heterotic string and M-theory. The requirement that the gauge fields in such models preserve supersymmetry leads to a complicated landscape of vacua in complex structure moduli space. We develop methods to systematically map out this multi-branched vacuum space, in a computable and explicit manner. In analyzing the resulting vacua, it is found that the associated Calabi-Yau three-folds are sometimes stabilized at a value of complex structure resulting in a singular compactific…
We analyze D = 4 compactifications of Type IIB theory with generic, geometric and non-geometric, dual fluxes turned on. In particular, we study N = 1 toroidal orbifold compactifications that admit an embedding of the untwisted sector into gauged N = 4, 8 supergravities. Truncations, spontaneous breaking of supersymmetry and the inclusion of sources are discussed. The algebraic identities satisfied by the supergravity gaugings are used to implement the full set of consistency constraints on the background fluxes. This allows to perform a generic study of N = 1 vacua and identify large regions o…
We study the effects of adding RR, NS and metric fluxes on a T^6/(Ω(-1)^{F_L} I_3) Type IIA orientifold. By using the effective flux-induced superpotential we obtain Minkowski or AdS vacua with broken or unbroken supersymmetry. In the Minkowski case some combinations of real moduli remain undetermined, whereas all can be stabilized in the AdS solutions. Many flux parameters are available which are unconstrained by RR tadpole cancellation conditions allowing to locate the minima at large volume and small dilaton. We also find that in AdS supersymmetric vacua with metric fluxes, the overall flux…
Tadpoles accompany, in one form or another, all attempts to realize supersymmetry breaking in String Theory, making the present constructions at best incomplete. Whereas these tadpoles are typically large, a closer look at the problem from a perturbative viewpoint has the potential of illuminating at least some of its qualitative features in String Theory. A possible scheme to this effect was proposed long ago by Fischler and Susskind, but incorporating background redefinitions in string amplitudes in a systematic fashion has long proved very difficult. In the first part of this paper, drawing…
