arXiv subjects

Matteo Morittu

Publications and source records attributed to Matteo Morittu.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Taxonomy of type II orientifold flux vacua in 3D

We complete the study initiated in \cite{Arboleya:2024vnp} and investigate three-dimensional (3D) flux vacua of type II orientifold reductions on twisted tori that include a single type of spacetime-filling O$p$-plane with $\,p=2,\ldots,9$. Restricting to $\textrm{SO}(3)$-invariant setups -- also known as RSTU-models -- and setting axions to zero, we exhaustively chart the landscape of 3D orientifold flux vacua. It consists of $\,56\,$ inequivalent multi-parametric families of AdS$_3$ and Mkw$_3$ flux vacua, all of them without negative masses in the spectrum of scalar fluctuations. Performing T-dualities, all the inequivalent vacua can be found in type IIB with either O9-, O5- or O3-planes. We show that: $i)\,$ type IIB with O$9$ fails to stabilise the volume of the internal space. $ii)\,$ type IIB with O5 realises the only cases of scale-separated AdS$_{3}$ vacua. $iii)\,$ type IIB with O$3$ provides only Mkw$_{3}$ vacua exhibiting a rich variety of supersymmetry-breaking patterns. Assuming that some mechanism (possibly non-perturbative) fixes the unstabilised modulus in type IIB with O$9$, we re-examine the possibility of achieving a weakly-coupled and scale-separated regime.

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arXiv2025

Open strings in type IIB AdS$_3$ flux vacua

The role of open strings is investigated in the context of AdS$_{3}$ flux vacua arising from type IIB orientifold reductions. On the one hand, contrary to expectations, the perturbative stability of certain recently found non-supersymmetric AdS$_{3}$ flux vacua is shown to be robust under fluctuations of the open-string moduli. On the other hand, a wealth of new perturbatively stable AdS$_{3}$ flux vacua appears as a consequence of the non-trivial dynamics of open-string moduli. We also comment on the issue of scale separation in these AdS$_{3}$ flux vacua.

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arXiv2025

On type IIB AdS$_{3}$ flux vacua with scale separation and integer conformal dimensions

We review recent progress in constructing type IIB AdS$_{3}$ flux vacua that exhibit parametrically-controlled scale separation and come along with integer-valued conformal dimensions for the would-be dual CFT$_{2}$ operators. We comment on the anisotropic nature of the associated internal spaces, as well as on the existence of polynomial shift symmetries underlying the mass spectra. We conclude by outlining open questions and potential directions for future research, partially inspired by the Swampland program.

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arXiv2024

Type II orientifold flux vacua in 3D

We initiate a systematic study of type II orientifold flux vacua in three dimensions including gauge and metric fluxes, O-planes and D-branes. We derive simple flux models (we dub them RSTU-models) that admit a description in terms of gauged supergravities with half-maximal $\,\mathcal{N}=8\,$ supersymmetry in three dimensions. As a landscape appetizer, we present various multi-parametric families of supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric AdS$_{3}$ and Mkw$_{3}$ vacua. Remarkably, negative masses turn out to be always absent in the spectrum of scalar fluctuations, thus making all the vacua perturbatively stable within half-maximal supergravity. We provide examples of non-supersymmetric type IIB AdS$_{3}$ flux vacua which feature parametrically-controlled scale separation and come along with integer-valued conformal dimensions of the would-be dual CFT$_{2}$ operators. We also comment on the implications of our results in light of the Swampland Program.

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arXiv2023

Scale-separated AdS$_3\times$S$^1$ vacua from IIA orientifolds

We study supersymmetric AdS$_3$ flux vacua of massive type-IIA supergravity on anisotropic G2 orientifolds. Depending on the value of the $F_4$ flux the seven-dimensional compact space can either have six small and one large dimension such that the external space is scale-separated and effectively four-dimensional, or all seven compact dimensions small and parametrically scale-separated from the three external ones. Within this setup we also discuss the Distance Conjecture (including appropriate D4-branes), and highlight that such vacua provide a non-trivial example of the so-called Strong Spin-2 Conjecture.

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arXiv2023

On/off scale separation

We discuss minimally supersymmetric AdS$_3$ flux vacua of massive type IIA supergravity on G2-orientifolds. We find that configurations that are scale-separated can be within finite distance from non scale-separated ones, while both remain at large volume, weak coupling and have moduli stabilization. The transition is achieved with the use of a D4-brane modulus, which allows the $F_4$ flux to jump, and has an effective potential always accessible to the three-dimensional low-energy theory. Our analysis further allows us to check the distance conjecture quantitatively, as we can track explicitly the masses of the KK modes.

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arXiv2022

Goldstino condensation at large N

We analyze the standard fermionic 4D Volkov-Akulov action with N global non-linear supersymmetries. We find that the stationary points of the system are described by an effective potential, written in terms of two composite real scalar fields, which approaches the exact quantum effective potential in the large N limit. We identify the existence of at least two stationary points, one representing the original supersymmetry breaking configuration and the other one corresponding to goldstino condensation, where supersymmetry is restored in the deep IR.

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arXiv2022

Anti-brane uplift instability from goldstino condensation

We investigate the possible appearance of composite states of the goldstino in models with four-dimensional non-linear supersymmetry and we provide a description of their dynamics in terms of a K\"ahler potential and a superpotential. Our analysis shows that the critical point corresponding to the Volkov-Akulov model is unstable. Similarly, we find that the uplifted stable de Sitter critical point of the KKLT model is shifted and acquires a tachyonic instability. Our findings indicate the existence of a potentially dangerous instability shared by all anti-brane uplifts.

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arXiv2021

The unbearable lightness of charged gravitini

We prove that charged gravitini cannot have parametrically small or vanishing Lagrangian mass in de Sitter vacua of extended supergravity while respecting the magnetic weak gravity conjecture. This places large classes of de Sitter solutions of gauged supergravity in the swampland, including all known stable solutions of the N=2 theory. We illustrate this result by analyzing a variety of de Sitter critical points of N=2 matter-coupled supergravity that also include new stable de Sitter solutions. Our results provide concrete evidence that (quasi) de Sitter with charged light gravitini should belong to the swampland, which also strongly resonates with the festina lente bound.

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arXiv2020

Covariant formulation of BPS black holes and the scalar weak gravity conjecture

In this note we analyze the BPS black hole equations in extended supergravities and we find two interesting relations involving first and second derivatives of combinations of the central charges. One relation is a new identity that solely relies on the geometric properties of the scalar manifolds of extended supergravity theories. The other relation is a generalization of a scalar weak gravity conjecture relation conjectured by Palti and uses properties of the underlying black hole solution. We also provide for the first time an explicit covariant construction of the BPS squared action for such solutions.

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