F-theory duals of non-perturbative heterotic E8 × E8 vacua in six dimensions

Abstract

We present a systematic way of generating F-theory models dual to non-perturbative vacua (i.e. vacua with extra tensor multiplets) of heterotic E 8 × E 8 strings compactified on K3, using hypersurfaces in toric varieties. In all cases, the Calabi-yau is an elliptic fibration over a blow-up of the Hirzebruch surface F n . We find that in most cases the fan of the base of the elliptic fibration is visible in the dual polyhedron of the Calabi-Yau, and that the extra tensor multiplets are represented as points corresponding to the blow-ups of the F n .