Symmetry enhancements in 7d heterotic strings

We use a moduli space exploration algorithm to produce a complete list of maximally enhanced gauge groups that are realized in the heterotic string in 7d, encompassing the usual Narain component, and five other components with rank reduction realized via nontrivial holonomy triples. Using lattice embedding techniques we find an explicit match with the mechanism of singularity freezing in M-theory on K3. The complete global data for each gauge group is explicitly given.

On small black holes, KK monopoles and solitonic 5-branes

We review and extend results on higher-curvature corrections to different configurations describing a superposition of heterotic strings, KK monopoles, solitonic 5-branes and momentum waves. Depending on which sources are present, the low-energy fields describe a black hole, a soliton or a naked singularity. We show that this property is unaltered when perturbative higher-curvature corrections are included, provided the sources are fixed. On the other hand, this character may be changed by appropriate introduction (or removal) of sources regardless of the presence of curvature corrections, which constitutes a non-perturbative modification of the departing system. The general system of multicenter KK monopoles and their 5-brane charge induced by higher-curvature corrections is discussed in some detail, with special attention paid to the possibility of merging monopoles. Our results are particularly relevant for small black holes (Dabholkar-Harvey states, DH), which remain singular after quadratic curvature corrections are taken into account. When there are four non-compact dimensions, we notice the existence of a black hole with regular horizon whose entropy coincides with that of the DH states, but the charges and supersymmetry preserved by both configurations are different. A similar construction with five non-compact dimensions is possible, in this case with the same charges as DH, although it fails to reproduce the DH entropy and supersymmetry. No such configuration exists if d > 5, which we interpret as reflecting the necessity of having a 5-brane wrapping the compact space.

Non-SUSY heterotic string vacua of Gepner models with vanishing cosmological constant

We study a natural generalization of the results given in K. Aoyama and Y. Sugawara, Prog. Theor. Exp. Phys. 2020, 103B01 (2020) to heterotic strings. Namely, starting from the generic Gepner models for Calabi –Yau three-folds, we construct non-SUSY heterotic string vacua with vanishing cosmological constant at the one-loop level. We especially focus on asymmetric orbifolding based on some discrete subgroup of the chiral $U(1)$ action which acts on both 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 some cases, the desired vacua can be constructed in a manner quite similar to those given in the previous paper for the type II string, in which the orbifold groups contain two generators with discrete torsions. On the other hand, we also have simpler models that are just realized as asymmetric orbifolds of cyclic groups with only one generator.

Generalized dualities and higher derivatives

Generalized dualities had an intriguing incursion into Double Field Theory (DFT) in terms of local O(d, d) transformations. We review this idea and use the higher derivative formulation of DFT to compute the first order corrections to generalized dualities. Our main result is a unified expression that can be easily specified to any generalized T-duality (Abelian, non-Abelian, Poisson-Lie, etc.) or deformations such as Yang-Baxter, in any of the theories captured by the bi-parametric deformation (bosonic, heterotic strings and HSZ theory), in any supergravity scheme related by field redefinitions. The prescription allows further extensions to higher orders. As a check we recover some previously known particular examples.

Exploring the landscape of heterotic strings on Td

Compactifications of the heterotic string on Td are the simplest, yet rich enough playgrounds to uncover swampland ideas: the U(1)d+16 left-moving gauge symmetry gets enhanced at special points in moduli space only to certain groups. We state criteria, based on lattice embedding techniques, to establish whether a gauge group is realized or not. For generic d, we further show how to obtain the moduli that lead to a given gauge group by modifying the method of deleting nodes in the extended Dynkin diagram of the Narain lattice II1,17. More general algorithms to explore the moduli space are also developed. For d = 1 and 2 we list all the maximally enhanced gauge groups, moduli, and other relevant information about the embedding in IId,d+16. In agreement with the duality between heterotic on T2 and F-theory on K3, all possible gauge groups on T2 match all possible ADE types of singular fibers of elliptic K3 surfaces. We also present a simple method to transform the moduli under the duality group, and we build the map that relates the charge lattices and moduli of the compactification of the E8 × E8 and Spin(32)/ℤ2 heterotic theories.

F-theory and heterotic duality, Weierstrass models from Wilson lines

We present how to construct elliptically fibered K3 surfaces via Weierstrass models which can be parametrized in terms of Wilson lines in the dual heterotic string theory. We work with a subset of reflexive polyhedras that admit two fibers whose moduli spaces contain the ones of the $$E_{8}\times E_{8}$$ E 8 × E 8 or $$\frac{Spin(32)}{{\mathbb {Z}}_{2}}$$ S p i n ( 32 ) Z 2 heterotic theory compactified on a two torus without Wilson lines. One can then interpret the additional moduli as a particular Wilson line content in the heterotic strings. A convenient way to find such polytopes is to use graphs of polytopes where links are related to inclusion relations of moduli spaces of different fibers. We are then able to map monomials in the defining equations of particular K3 surfaces to Wilson line moduli in the dual theories. Graphs were constructed developing three different programs which give the gauge group for a generic point in the moduli space, the Weierstrass model as well as basic enhancements of the gauge group obtained by sending coefficients of the hypersurface equation defining the K3 surface to zero.

Exponentially suppressed cosmological constant with enhanced gauge symmetry in heterotic interpolating models

A few 9D interpolating models with two parameters are constructed and the massless spectra are studied by considering compactification of heterotic strings on a twisted circle with a Wilson line. It is found that there are some conditions between radius $R$ and Wilson line $A$ under which the gauge symmetry is enhanced. In particular, when the gauge symmetry is enhanced to $SO(18)\times SO(14)$, the cosmological constant is exponentially suppressed. We also construct a non-supersymmetric string model that is tachyon-free in all regions of moduli space and whose gauge symmetry involves $E_8$.