arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Erik Plauschinn.
We determine all flux vacua with flux numbers $N_{\rm flux}\leq 10$ for a type IIB orientifold-compactification on the mirror-octic three-fold. To achieve this, we develop and apply techniques for performing a complete scan of flux vacua for the whole moduli space - we do not randomly sample fluxes nor do we consider only boundary regions of the moduli space. We compare our findings to results in the literature.
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 $N_{\rm flux}\leq \mathcal O(10^3)$, however, the smallest flux number we obtain in our search is of order $N_{\rm flux}=\mathcal O(10^{4})$. This implies, in particular, that for all solutions to the F-term equations in our data set the tadpole conjecture is satisfied.
In this note we study the mass spectrum of type IIB flux compactifications. We first give a general discussion of the mass matrix for F-term vacua in four-dimensional N=1 supergravity theories and then specialize to type IIB Calabi-Yau orientifold compactifications in the presence of geometric and non-geometric fluxes. F-term vacua in this setting are in general AdS$_4$ vacua for which we compute the conformal dimensions of operators dual to the scalar fields. For the mirror-dual of the DGKT construction we find that one-loop corrections to the complex-structure moduli space lead to real-valued conformal dimensions - only when ignoring these corrections we recover the integer values previously reported in the literature. For an example of a flux configurations more general than the DGKT mirror we also obtain non-integer conformal dimensions. Furthermore, we argue that stabilizing moduli in asymptotic regions of moduli space implies that at least one of the mass eigenvalue diverges.
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 stabilized moduli. Our approach relies on the use of asymptotic Hodge theory. In particular, we use the fact that in each asymptotic regime an orthogonal sl(2)-block structure emerges that allows us to group fluxes into sl(2)-representations and decouple complex structure directions. We show that the number of stabilized moduli scales with the number of sl(2)-representations supported by fluxes, and that each representation fixes a single modulus. Furthermore, we find that for Calabi-Yau four-folds all but one representation can be identified with representations occurring on two-folds. This allows us to discuss moduli stabilization explicitly and establish the relevant scaling constraints for the tadpole.
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 corrections have to be present for consistency. We give a pedagogical introduction to the sl(2)-approximation as well as a detailed step-by-step procedure for constructing the corresponding Hodge star operator. To exemplify the construction, we present a detailed analysis of several Calabi-Yau three- and fourfold examples. For these examples we illustrate that the vacua in the sl(2)-approximation match the vacua obtained with all polynomial and essential exponential corrections rather well, and we determine the behaviour of the tadpole contribution of the fluxes. Finally, we discuss the structure of vacuum loci and their relations to several swampland conjectures. In particular, we comment on the realization of the so-called linear scenario in view of the tadpole conjecture.
The tadpole conjecture by Bena, Blaback, Grana and Lust effectively states that for string-theory compactifications with a large number of complex-structure moduli, not all of these moduli can be stabilized by fluxes. In this note we study this conjecture in the large complex-structure regime using statistical data obtained by Demirtas, Long, McAllister and Stillman for the Kreuzer-Skarke list. We estimate a lower bound on the flux number in type IIB Calabi-Yau orientifold compactifications at large complex-structure and for large $h^{2,1}$, and our results support the tadpole conjecture in this regime.
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.
We derive the commutation relations for open-string coordinates on D-branes in non-geometric background spaces. Starting from D0-branes on a three-dimensional torus with H-flux, we show that open strings with end points on D3-branes in a three-dimensional R-flux background exhibit a non-associative phase-space algebra, which is similar to the non-associative R-flux algebra of closed strings. Therefore, the effective open-string gauge theory on the D3-branes is expected to be a non-associative gauge theory. We also point out differences between the non-associative phase space structure of open and closed strings in non-geometric backgrounds, which are related to the different structure of the world-sheet commutators of open and closed strings.
We study the weak gravity conjecture, the swampland distance conjecture and the emergence proposal for $\mathcal{N}=1$ orientifold compactifications of type IIB string theory with O3-/O7-planes. We allow for orientifold projections with $h^{2,1}_+\neq 0$ which gives rise to closed-string $U(1)$ gauge fields, and our findings show that certain structures present for $\mathcal N=2$ compactifications are not present for $\mathcal N=1$. In particular, assumptions about stability have to be relaxed and we encounter an ambiguity for the emergence of gauge symmetries associated with the $h^{2,1}_+$ sector.
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, and that the space of solutions is not homogenous but shows characteristic void structures and vacua concentrated on submanifolds.
This review provides an introduction to non-geometric backgrounds in string theory. Starting from a discussion of T-duality, geometric and non-geometric torus-fibrations are reviewed, generalised geometry and its relation to non-geometric backgrounds are explained and compactifications of string theory with geometric and non-geometric fluxes are discussed. Furthermore covered are doubled geometry as well as non-commutative and non-associative structures in the context of non-geometric backgrounds.
We revisit T-duality transformations for the open string via Buscher's procedure and work-out technical details which have been missing so far in the literature. We take into account non-trivial topologies of the world-sheet, we consider T-duality along directions with Neumann as well as Dirichlet boundary conditions, and we include collective T-duality along multiple directions. We illustrate this formalism with the example of the three-torus with H-flux and its T-dual backgrounds, and we discuss global properties of open-string boundary conditions on such spaces.
In this note we study T-duality transformations for the NS5-brane and its orbifolds along angular directions. We identify a geometric charge for these configurations and show that it is interchanged with the H-flux under T-duality. We furthermore perform a supersymmetry analysis and find that T-duality can break supersymmetry, in agreement with earlier results in the literature. We contrast our findings to compactifications of the NS5-brane on tori, which have vanishing geometric charge and for which T-duality transformations along the compact directions preserve supersymmetry. This shows that the uncompactified NS5-brane and the compactified-and-smeared solution have different properties and behave differently under T-duality.
We perform dimensional reductions of type IIA and type IIB double field theory in the flux formulation on Calabi-Yau three-folds and on $K3\times T^2$. In addition to geometric and non-geometric three-index fluxes and Ramond-Ramond fluxes, we include generalized dilaton fluxes. We relate our results to the scalar potentials of corresponding four-dimensional gauged supergravity theories, and we verify the expected behavior under mirror symmetry. For Calabi-Yau three-folds we extend this analysis to the full bosonic action including kinetic terms.
We study the dynamics of strings with non-zero winding number around T-duality defects. We deduce that the physics near the core of such non-geometric objects involves winding modes that are not captured by the supergravity approximation, and we argue that such corrections are T-dual to the modes responsible for quantum corrections of semi-flat elliptic metrics. We furthermore construct a solution of double field theory that captures part of such near-core physics.
Recent progress on the relation between asymmetric conformal field theories and vacua of gauged supergravities is reviewed. This includes an attempt to classify asymmetric Gepner models in 8D, 6D and 4D with at least eight supercharges, and how they can be categorized by just a few mechanisms including the super Higgs-effect. The latter is a prerequisite for the identification with non-geometric flux compactifications. We also highlight our findings for the identification of 4D asymmetric Gepner models with ${\cal N}=1$ supersymmetry with Minkowski vacua of ${\cal N}=2$ GSUGRA.
Using the method of simple current extensions, asymmetric Gepner models of Type IIB with N=1 space-time supersymmetry are constructed. The combinatorics of the massless vector fields suggests that these classical Minkowski string vacua provide fully backreacted solutions corresponding to N=1 minima of N=2 gauged supergravity. The latter contain abelian gaugings along the axionic isometries in the hypermultiplet moduli space, and can be considered as Type IIB flux compactifications on Calabi-Yau manifolds equipped with (non-)geometric fluxes. For a particular class of asymmetric Gepner models, we are able to explicitly specify the underlying CICYs and to check necessary conditions for a GSUGRA interpretation. If this conjecture is correct, there exists a large class of exactly solvable non-geometric flux compactifications on CY threefolds.
We study asymmetric simple-current extensions of Gepner models in dimensions $D=4,6,8$ with at least eight supercharges in the right-moving sector. The models obtained in an extensive stochastic computer search belong to a small number of different classes. These classes can be categorized as dimensional reductions, asymmetric orbifolds with $(-1)^{F_L}$, extra gauge enhancement and as coming from the super Higgs-effect. Models in the latter class are particularly interesting, as they may correspond to non-geometric flux compactifications.