arXiv subjects

James Gray

Publications and source records attributed to James Gray.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

F-Theory on Quotients of Elliptic Calabi-Yau Threefolds

In this work we consider quotients of elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau threefolds by freely acting discrete groups and the associated physics of F-theory compactifications on such backgrounds. The process of quotienting a Calabi-Yau geometry produces not only new genus one fibered manifolds, but also new effective 6-dimensional physics. These theories can be uniquely characterized by the much simpler covering space geometry and the symmetry action on it. We use this method to construct examples of F-theory models with an array of discrete gauge groups and non-trivial monodromies, including an example with Z6 discrete symmetry.

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arXiv2019

Jumping Spectra and Vanishing Couplings in Heterotic Line Bundle Standard Models

We study two aspects of the physics of heterotic Line Bundle Standard Models on smooth Calabi-Yau threefolds. First, we investigate to what degree modern moduli stabilization scenarios can affect the standard model spectrum in such compactifications. Specifically, we look at the case where some of the complex structure moduli are fixed by a choice of hidden sector bundle. In this context, we study the frequency with which the system tends to be forced to a point in moduli space where the cohomology groups determining the spectrum in the standard model sector jump in dimension. Second, we investigate to what degree couplings, that are permitted by all of the obvious symmetries of the theory, actually vanish due to certain topological constraints associated to their higher dimensional origins. We find that both effects are prevalent within the data set of heterotic Line Bundle Standard Models studied.

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arXiv2018

F-theory on Quotient Threefolds with (2,0) Discrete Superconformal Matter

We explore 6-dimensional compactifications of F-theory exhibiting (2,0) superconformal theories coupled to gravity that include discretely charged superconformal matter. Beginning with F-theory geometries with Abelian gauge fields and superconformal sectors, we provide examples of Higgsing transitions which break the $U(1)$ gauge symmetry to a discrete remnant in which the matter fields are also non-trivially coupled to a (2,0) SCFT. In the compactification background this corresponds to a geometric transition linking two fibered Calabi-Yau geometries defined over a singular base complex surface. An elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau threefold with non-zero Mordell-Weil rank can be connected to a smooth non-simply connected genus one fibered geometry constructed as a Calabi-Yau quotient. These hyperconifold transitions exhibit multiple fibers in co-dimension 2 over the base.

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arXiv2018

Fibrations in Non-simply Connected Calabi-Yau Quotients

In this work we study genus one fibrations in Calabi-Yau three-folds with a non-trivial first fundamental group. The manifolds under consideration are constructed as smooth quotients of complete intersection Calabi-Yau three-folds (CICYs) by a freely acting, discrete automorphism. By probing the compatibility of symmetries with genus one fibrations (that is, discrete group actions which preserve a local decomposition of the manifold into fiber and base) we find fibrations that are inherited from fibrations on the covering spaces. Of the 7,890 CICY three-folds, 195 exhibit known discrete symmetries, leading to a total of 1,695 quotient manifolds. By scanning over 20,700 fiber/symmetry pairs on the covering spaces we find 17,161 fibrations on the quotient Calabi-Yau manifolds. It is found that the vast majority of the non-simply connected manifolds studied exhibit multiple different genus one fibrations - echoing a similar ubiquity of such structures that has been observed in other data sets. The results are available at http://www1.phys.vt.edu/quotientdata/. The possible base manifolds are all singular and are catalogued. These Calabi-Yau fibrations generically exhibit multiple fibers and are of interest in F-theory as backgrounds leading to theories with superconformal loci and discretely charged matter.

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arXiv2018

Moduli identification methods in Type II compactifications

Recent work on four dimensional effective descriptions of the heterotic string has identified the moduli of such systems as being given by kernels of maps between ordinary Dolbeault cohomology groups. The maps involved are defined by the supergravity data of the background solutions. Such structure is seen both in the case of Calabi-Yau compactifications with non-trivial constraints on moduli arising from the gauge bundle and in the case of some non-Kahler compactifications of the theory. This description of the moduli has allowed the explicit computation of the moduli stabilization effects of a wide range of non-trivial gauge bundles on Calabi-Yau three-folds. In this paper we examine to what extent the ideas and techniques used in this work can be extended to the case of Type IIB string theory. Certain simplifications arise in the Type IIB case in comparison to the heterotic situation. However, complications also arise due to the richer supergravity data of the theory inducing a more involved map structure. We illustrate our discussion with several concrete examples of compactification of Type IIB string theory on conformal CICY three-folds with flux.

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arXiv2017

Fibrations in CICY Threefolds

In this work we systematically enumerate genus one fibrations in the class of 7,890 Calabi-Yau manifolds defined as complete intersections in products of projective spaces, the so-called CICY threefolds. This survey is independent of the description of the manifolds and improves upon past approaches that probed only a particular algebraic form of the threefolds (i.e. searches for "obvious" genus one fibrations as in [1,2]). We also study K3-fibrations and nested fibration structures. That is, K3 fibrations with potentially many distinct elliptic fibrations. To accomplish this survey a number of new geometric tools are developed including a determination of the full topology of all CICY threefolds, including triple intersection numbers. In 2,946 cases this involves finding a new "favorable" description of the manifold in which all divisors descend from a simple ambient space. Our results consist of a survey of obvious fibrations for all CICY threefolds and a complete classification of all genus one fibrations for 4,957 "Kahler favorable" CICYs whose Kahler cones descend from a simple ambient space. Within the CICY dataset, we find 139,597 obvious genus one fibrations, 30,974 obvious K3 fibrations and 208,987 nested combinations. For the Kahler favorable geometries we find a complete classification of 377,559 genus one fibrations. For one manifold with Hodge numbers (19,19) we find an explicit description of an infinite number of distinct genus-one fibrations extending previous results for this particular geometry that have appeared in the literature. The data associated to this scan is available at http://www1.phys.vt.edu/cicydata .

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arXiv2016

Multiple Fibrations in Calabi-Yau Geometry and String Dualities

In this work we explore the physics associated to Calabi-Yau (CY) n-folds that can be described as a fibration in more than one way. Beginning with F-theory vacua in various dimensions, we consider limits/dualities with M-theory, type IIA, and heterotic string theories. Our results include many M-/F-theory correspondences in which distinct F-theory vacua - associated to different elliptic fibrations of the same CY n-fold - give rise to the same M-theory limit in one dimension lower. Examples include 5-dimensional correspondences between 6-dimensional theories with Abelian, non-Abelian and superconformal structure, as well as examples of higher rank Mordell-Weil geometries. In addition, in the context of heterotic/F-theory duality, we investigate the role played by multiple K3- and elliptic fibrations in known and novel string dualities in 8-, 6- and 4-dimensional theories. Here we systematically summarize nested fibration structures and comment on the roles they play in T-duality, mirror symmetry, and 4-dimensional compactifications of F-theory with G-flux. This investigation of duality structures is made possible by geometric tools developed in a companion paper [1].

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arXiv2016

Tools for CICYs in F-theory

We provide a set of tools for analyzing the geometry of elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau manifolds, starting with a description of the total space rather than with a Weierstrass model or a specified type of fiber/base. Such an approach to the subject of F-theory compactification makes certain geometric properties, which are usually hidden, manifest. Specifically, we review how to isolate genus-one fibrations in such geometries and then describe how to find their sections explicitly. This includes a full parameterization of the Mordell-Weil group where non-trivial. We then describe how to analyze the associated Weierstrass models, Jacobians and resolved geometries. We illustrate our discussion with concrete examples which are complete intersections in products of projective spaces (CICYs). The examples presented include cases exhibiting non-abelian symmetries and higher rank Mordell-Weil group. We also make some comments on non-flat fibrations in this context. In a companion paper [1] to this one, these results will be used to analyze the consequences for string dualities of the ubiquity of multiple fibrations in known constructions of Calabi-Yau manifolds.

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arXiv2016

Hodge Numbers for All CICY Quotients

We present a general method for computing Hodge numbers for Calabi-Yau manifolds realised as discrete quotients of complete intersections in products of projective spaces. The method relies on the computation of equivariant cohomologies and is illustrated for several explicit examples. In this way, we compute the Hodge numbers for all discrete quotients obtained in Braun's classification arXiv:1003.3235.

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arXiv2016

Yukawa Unification in Heterotic String Theory

We analyze Yukawa unification in the the context of $E_8\times E_8$ heterotic Calabi-Yau models which rely on breaking to a GUT theory via a non-flat gauge bundle and subsequent Wilson line breaking to the standard model. Our focus is on underlying GUT theories with gauge group $SU(5)$ or $SO(10)$. We provide a detailed analysis of the fact that, in contrast to traditional field theory GUTs, the underlying GUT symmetry of these models does not enforce Yukawa unification. Using this formalism, we present various scenarios where Yukawa unification can occur as a consequence of additional symmetries. These additional symmetries arise naturally in some heterotic constructions and we present an explicit heterotic line bundle model which realizes one of these scenarios.

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arXiv2016

Matter in transition

We explore a novel type of transition in certain 6D and 4D quantum field theories, in which the matter content of the theory changes while the gauge group and other parts of the spectrum remain invariant. Such transitions can occur, for example, for SU(6) and SU(7) gauge groups, where matter fields in a three-index antisymmetric representation and the fundamental representation are exchanged in the transition for matter in the two-index antisymmetric representation. These matter transitions are realized by passing through superconformal theories at the transition point. We explore these transitions in dual F-theory and heterotic descriptions, where a number of novel features arise. For example, in the heterotic description the relevant 6D SU(7) theories are described by bundles on K3 surfaces where the geometry of the K3 is constrained in addition to the bundle structure. On the F-theory side, non-standard representations such as the three-index antisymmetric representation of SU(N) require Weierstrass models that cannot be realized from the standard SU(N) Tate form. We also briefly describe some other situations, with groups such as Sp(3), SO(12), and SU(3), where analogous matter transitions can occur between different representations. For SU(3), in particular, we find a matter transition between adjoint matter and matter in the symmetric representation, giving an explicit Weierstrass model for the F-theory description of the symmetric representation that complements another recent analogous construction.

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arXiv2016

The optical-UV emissivity of quasars: dependence on black hole mass and radio loudness

We analyzed a large sample of radio-loud and radio-quiet quasar spectra at redshift 1.0 < z < 1.2 to compare the inferred underlying quasar continuum slopes (after removal of the host galaxy contribution) with accretion disk models. The latter predict redder (decreasing) alpha_3000 continuum slopes (L_ν~ν^alpha at 3000Ang) with increasing black hole mass, bluer alpha_3000 with increasing luminosity at 3000Ang, and bluer alpha_3000 with increasing spin of the black hole, when all other parameters are held fixed. We find no clear evidence for any of these predictions in the data. In particular we find that: (i) alpha_3000 shows no significant dependence on black hole mass or luminosity. Dedicated Monte Carlo tests suggest that the substantial observational uncertainties in the black hole virial masses can effectively erase any intrinsic dependence of alpha_3000 on black hole mass, in line with some previous studies. (ii) The mean slope alpha_3000 of radio-loud sources, thought to be produced by rapidly spinning black holes, is comparable to, or even redder than, that of radio-quiet quasars. Indeed, although quasars appear to become more radio loud with decreasing luminosity, we still do not detect any significant dependence of alpha_3000 on radio loudness. The predicted mean alpha_3000 slopes tend to be bluer than in the data. Disk models with high inclinations and dust extinction tend to produce redder slopes closer to empirical estimates. Our mean alpha_3000 values are close to the ones independently inferred at z<0.5 suggesting weak evolution with redshift, at least for moderately luminous quasars.

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arXiv2015

On Instanton Superpotentials, Calabi-Yau Geometry, and Fibrations

In this paper we explore contributions to non-perturbative superpotentials arising from instantons wrapping effective divisors in smooth Calabi-Yau four-folds. We concentrate on the case of manifolds constructed as complete intersections in products of projective spaces (CICYs) or generalizations thereof (gCICYs). We systematically investigate the structure of the cone of effective (algebraic) divisors in the four-fold geometries and employ the same tools recently developed in arXiv:1507.03235 to construct more general instanton geometries than have previously been considered in the literature. We provide examples of instanton configurations on Calabi-Yau manifolds that are elliptically and $K3$-fibered and explore their consequences in the context of string dualities. The examples discussed include manifolds containing infinite families of divisors with arithmetic genus, $χ(D, \mathcal O_D)=1$ and superpotentials exhibiting modular symmetry.

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arXiv2015

A New Construction of Calabi-Yau Manifolds: Generalized CICYs

We present a generalization of the complete intersection in products of projective space (CICY) construction of Calabi-Yau manifolds. CICY three-folds and four-folds have been studied extensively in the physics literature. Their utility stems from the fact that they can be simply described in terms of a `configuration matrix', a matrix of integers from which many of the details of the geometries can be easily extracted. The generalization we present is to allow negative integers in the configuration matrices which were previously taken to have positive semi-definite entries. This broadening of the complete intersection construction leads to a larger class of Calabi-Yau manifolds than that considered in previous work, which nevertheless enjoys much of the same degree of calculational control. These new Calabi-Yau manifolds are complete intersections in (not necessarily Fano) ambient spaces with an effective anticanonical class. We find examples with topology distinct from any that has appeared in the literature to date. The new manifolds thus obtained have many interesting features. For example, they can have smaller Hodge numbers than ordinary CICYs and lead to many examples with elliptic and K3-fibration structures relevant to F-theory and string dualities.

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arXiv2014

A Calabi-Yau Database: Threefolds Constructed from the Kreuzer-Skarke List

Kreuzer and Skarke famously produced the largest known database of Calabi-Yau threefolds by providing a complete construction of all 473,800,776 reflexive polyhedra that exist in four dimensions. These polyhedra describe the singular limits of ambient toric varieties in which Calabi-Yau threefolds can exist as hypersurfaces. In this paper, we review how to extract topological and geometric information about Calabi-Yau threefolds using the toric construction, and we provide, in a companion online database (see http://nuweb1.neu.edu/cydatabase), a detailed inventory of these quantities which are of interest to physicists. Many of the singular ambient spaces described by the Kreuzer-Skarke list can be smoothed out into multiple distinct toric ambient spaces describing different Calabi-Yau threefolds. We provide a list of the different Calabi-Yau threefolds which can be obtained from each polytope, up to current computational limits. We then give the details of a variety of quantities associated to each of these Calabi-Yau such as Chern classes, intersection numbers, and the Kähler and Mori cones, in addition to the Hodge data. This data forms a useful starting point for a number of physical applications of the Kreuzer-Skarke list.

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arXiv2014

Topological Invariants and Fibration Structure of Complete Intersection Calabi-Yau Four-Folds

We investigate the mathematical properties of the class of Calabi-Yau four-folds recently found in [arXiv:1303.1832]. This class consists of 921,497 configuration matrices which correspond to manifolds that are described as complete intersections in products of projective spaces. For each manifold in the list, we compute the full Hodge diamond as well as additional topological invariants such as Chern classes and intersection numbers. Using this data, we conclude that there are at least 36,779 topologically distinct manifolds in our list. We also study the fibration structure of these manifolds and find that 99.95 percent can be described as elliptic fibrations. In total, we find 50,114,908 elliptic fibrations, demonstrating the multitude of ways in which many manifolds are fibered. A sub-class of 26,088,498 fibrations satisfy necessary conditions for admitting sections. The complete data set can be downloaded at http://www-thphys.physics.ox.ac.uk/projects/CalabiYau/Cicy4folds/index.html .

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arXiv2014

Algebroids, Heterotic Moduli Spaces and the Strominger System

In this paper we study compactifications of heterotic string theory on manifolds satisfying the ddbar-lemma. We consider the Strominger system description of the low energy supergravity to first order in alpha' and show that the moduli of such compactifications are subspaces of familiar cohomology groups such as H^1(TX), H^1(TX*), H^1(End_0(V)) and H^1(End_0(TX)). These groups encode the complex structure, Kahler moduli, bundle moduli and perturbations of the spin connection respectively in the case of a Calabi-Yau compactification. We investigate the fluctuations of only a subset of the conditions of the Strominger system (expected to correspond physically to F-term constraints in the effective theory). The full physical moduli space is, therefore, given by a further restriction on these degrees of freedom which we discuss but do not explicitly provide. This paper is complementary to a previous tree-level worldsheet analysis of such moduli and agrees with that discussion in the limit of vanishing alpha'. The structure we present can be interpreted in terms of recent work in Atiyah and Courant algebroids, and we conjecture links with aspects of Hitchin's generalized geometry to heterotic moduli.

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arXiv2013

A Comprehensive Scan for Heterotic SU(5) GUT models

Compactifications of heterotic theories on smooth Calabi-Yau manifolds remains one of the most promising approaches to string phenomenology. In two previous papers, http://arXiv.org/abs/arXiv:1106.4804 and http://arXiv.org/abs/arXiv:1202.1757, large classes of such vacua were constructed, using sums of line bundles over complete intersection Calabi-Yau manifolds in products of projective spaces that admit smooth quotients by finite groups. A total of 10^12 different vector bundles were investigated which led to 202 SU(5) Grand Unified Theory (GUT) models. With the addition of Wilson lines, these in turn led, by a conservative counting, to 2122 heterotic standard models. In the present paper, we extend the scope of this programme and perform an exhaustive scan over the same class of models. A total of 10^40 vector bundles are analysed leading to 35,000 SU(5) GUT models. All of these compactifications have the right field content to induce low-energy models with the matter spectrum of the supersymmetric standard model, with no exotics of any kind. The detailed analysis of the resulting vast number of heterotic standard models is a substantial and ongoing task in computational algebraic geometry.

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