Heterotic String Research Articles

T-duality for non-critical heterotic strings

We consider non-critical heterotic strings compactified on S1. For full rank theories, they are related to odd self-dual lattices and are structurally of the same form as the critical non-supersymmetric theories. For dimensions up to 14 the associated moduli spaces are Coxeter polytopes already studied by Vinberg and Kaplinskaya. In the heterotic string context, the Coxeter diagrams of these moduli spaces are related through transformations representing the process of dimension changing tachyon condensation of Hellerman-Swanson. For dimensions 8 and 6 respectively on S1 and T2 we show that at special points in the moduli space the subcritical string is the CHS background for two coincident NS5-branes and the intersection of two such pairs. These configurations are interpreted as an end result of condensing heterotic winding tachyons along one or two Scherck-Schwarz circles at self-dual radius. We give evidence that in the first case there is a T-duality between the pair of NS5-branes and a recently constructed non-supersymmetric heterotic 6-brane.

A heterotic Kähler gravity and the distance conjecture

Deformations of the heterotic superpotential give rise to a topological holomorphic theory with similarities to both Kodaira-Spencer gravity and holomorphic Chern-Simons theory. Although the action is cubic, it is only quadratic in the complex structure deformations (the Beltrami differential). Treated separately, for large fluxes, or alternatively at large distances in the background complex structure moduli space, these fields can be integrated out to obtain a new field theory in the remaining fields, which describe the complexified hermitian and gauge degrees of freedom. We investigate properties of this new holomorphic theory, and in particular connections to the swampland distance conjecture in the context of heterotic string theory. In the process, we define a new type of symplectic cohomology theory, where the background complex structure Beltrami differential plays the role of the symplectic form.

Investigating 9d/8d non-supersymmetric branes and theories from supersymmetric heterotic strings

We consider heterotic string theories in nine and eight dimensions. We identify the disconnected part of the spacetime gauge group by studying the outer automorphism of the charge lattices. The absence of the global symmetry indicates the existence of non-supersymmetric codimension two branes. Moreover, we provide a list of gauge groups and matter contents of non-supersymmetric rank-reduced heterotic string theories (a branch corresponding to the E8 string on S1) from the orbifolding of the outer automorphism as well as the fermion parity. We also provide examples in eight dimensions.

Non-supersymmetric heterotic strings on a circle

Motivated by a recent construction of non-supersymmetric AdS3, we revisit the O(16) × O(16) heterotic string compactified on a torus. The string one-loop potential energy has interesting dependence on the classical moduli; extrema of this potential include loci where the gauge symmetry is maximally enhanced. Focusing on the case of a circle, we use lattice embeddings to find the maximal enhancement points together with their spectra of massless and tachyonic modes. We find an extended Dynkin diagram that encodes the global structure of the moduli space, as well as all symmetry enhancements and the loci where they occur. We find 107 points of maximal enhancement with 8 that are free of tachyons. The tachyon-free points each have positive cosmological constant. We determine the profile of the potential energy near each of these points and find that one is a maximum while three are saddle points. The remaining four live at the boundary of a tachyonic region in field space. In this way, we show that every point of maximal symmetry enhancement is unstable. We further find that the curvature of this stringy potential satisfies the de Sitter swampland conjecture. Finally, we discuss the implications for constructions of AdS3.

Heterotic strings and quantum entanglement

We construct ℤN orbifolds of the ten-dimensional heterotic string theories appropriate for implementing the stringy replica method for the calculation of quantum entanglement entropy. A novel feature for the heterotic string is that the gauge symmetry must be broken by a Wilson line to ensure modular invariance. We completely classify the patterns of symmetry breaking. We show that the tachyonic contributions in all cases can be analytically continued, with a finite answer in the domain 0 < N ≤ 1, relevant for calculating entanglement entropy across the Rindler horizon. We discuss the physical implications of our results.

Non-supersymmetric heterotic strings and chiral CFTs

Non-supersymmetric heterotic strings share various properties with their supersymmetric counterparts. Torus compactifications of the latter live in a component of the moduli space of string vacua with 16 supercharges, and various asymmetric orbifolds thereof realize vacua in other components, exhibiting qualitative differences such as rank reduction. We set out to study the analogous problem for non-supersymmetric heterotic strings, framing it in relation to chiral fermionic CFTs with central charge 24, which were classified recently. We find that for the case analogous to the so-called CHL string, which has gauge group rank reduced by 8, there are in total four non-supersymmetric versions. These include the well known E8 string and three other constructions a la CHL, which can be distinguished qualitatively by how tachyons appear in their classical moduli spaces. We also discuss the classification problem for lower rank theories and the relationship between MSDS models and Scherk-Schwarz reductions.

Six-derivative Yang-Mills couplings in heterotic string theory

In this work, we present a comprehensive analysis of the structure of six-derivative bosonic couplings in heterotic string theory. First, we determine the maximal covariant and Yang-Mills gauge invariant basis, which consists of 801 independent coupling constants. By imposing T-duality constraints on the circular reduction of these terms, we obtain 468 relations between the coupling constants at the six-derivative order and the known couplings at lower derivative orders. Through the use of field redefinitions, we are able to eliminate the remaining 333 coupling constants. Remarkably, we find that the Yang-Mills field strength only appears through the trace of two field strengths or their derivatives. Finally, we perform further field redefinition to rewrite the remaining couplings in a canonical form characterized by 85 independent couplings.

Spinor–Vector Duality and Mirror Symmetry

Mirror symmetry was first observed in worldsheet string constructions, and was shown to have profound implications in the Effective Field Theory (EFT) limit of string compactifications, and for the properties of Calabi–Yau manifolds. It opened up a new field in pure mathematics, and was utilised in the area of enumerative geometry. Spinor–Vector Duality (SVD) is an extension of mirror symmetry. This can be readily understood in terms of the moduli of toroidal compactification of the Heterotic String, which includes the metric the antisymmetric tensor field and the Wilson line moduli. In terms of the toroidal moduli, mirror symmetry corresponds to mappings of the internal space moduli, whereas Spinor–Vector Duality corresponds to maps of the Wilson line moduli. In the past few of years, we demonstrated the existence of Spinor–Vector Duality in the effective field theory compactifications of string theories. This was achieved by starting with a worldsheet orbifold construction that exhibited Spinor–Vector Duality and resolving the orbifold singularities, hence generating a smooth, effective field theory limit with an imprint of the Spinor–Vector Duality. Just like mirror symmetry, the Spinor–Vector Duality can be used to study the properties of complex manifolds with vector bundles. Spinor–Vector Duality offers a top-down approach to the “Swampland” program, by exploring the imprint of the symmetries of the ultra-violet complete worldsheet string constructions in the effective field theory limit. The SVD suggests a demarcation line between (2,0) EFTs that possess an ultra-violet complete embedding versus those that do not.

A twist at infinite distance in the CHL string

We analyze a space-time algebra of BPS states that emerges in the infinite distance limit in the moduli space of the nine-dimensional CHL string as the theory decompactifies to the ten-dimensional E8 × E8 heterotic string. We find an affine algebra as expected from the heterotic case, but in a twisted version.

Vacuum energy of nonsupersymmetric S˜ heterotic string models

We use the free fermionic formulation of the heterotic string in four dimensions to study the vacuum structure and energy of nonsupersymmetric tachyon free models that correspond to compactifications of tachyonic vacua of the ten-dimensional heterotic string. We explore the class of heterotic SO(10) nonsupersymmetric models constructed from the S˜ model in the free fermionic formalism and investigate the dependence of the potential on the geometric moduli. This paper will explore a sample of 109 string vacua to find the frequency of viable models, classifying these vacua by the following fertility criteria: tachyon presence, number of spinorial 16/16¯ representations, vectorial 10 states, and top quark mass coupling compatibility. Of these we find those that mimic supersymmetric models with equal number of bosons and fermions at the massless level: a00=0. Tachyon free models occur with a frequency of 5.309×10−3. Furthermore, models that fulfil the rest of the phenomenological fertility conditions and the additional condition on a00 occur with probability 4.0×10−9 We analyze the partition functions and study the moduli dependence of such models, finding that almost all fertile models have finite, positive potential at the free fermionic point, with 2 out of 84 of the fertile cores having negative, finite potential. We demonstrate that the free fermionic point is not necessarily a minimum in the potential. This work provides further evidence that supersymmetry may not be a necessary ingredient of phenomenological models, recreating many of the desirable features of such models without employing supersymmetry. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Vanishing conditions for higher order couplings in heterotic theories

For compactifications of heterotic string theory, we elucidate simple cohomological conditions that lead to the vanishing of superpotential n-point couplings for all n. These results generalize some vanishing theorems for Yukawa couplings that have previously appeared in the literature to all higher orders. In some cases, these results are enough to show that certain fields do not appear in the perturbative superpotential at all. We illustrate our discussion with a number of concrete examples. In some cases, our results can be confirmed by showing that symmetries indeed forbid the couplings that vanish. In many, however, no such symmetries are known to exist and, as such, the infinite sets of vanishing couplings that are found are surprising from a four-dimensional perspective. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Accelerating Kerr-Taub-NUT spacetime in the low energy limit of heterotic string theory

We construct a novel solution in the low energy limit of heterotic string theory describing accelerating charged and rotating black holes with NUT parameter. Some aspects of the new spacetime are discussed, such as locations of horizons, ergoregions, conic singularity, closed timelike curves, and area temperature product. We find some of the properties resemble the ones belong to accelerating Kerr-Newman-Taub-NUT spacetime.

The eclectic flavor symmetries of T2/ℤK orbifolds

Only four T2/ℤK orbifold building blocks are admissible in heterotic string compactifications. We investigate the flavor properties of all of these building blocks. In each case, we identify the traditional and modular flavor symmetries, and determine the corresponding representations and (fractional) modular weights of the available massless matter states. The resulting finite flavor symmetries include Abelian and non-Abelian traditional symmetries, discrete R symmetries, as well as the double-covered finite modular groups (S3 × S3) ⋊ ℤ4, T′, 2D3 and S3 × T′. Our findings provide restrictions for bottom-up model building with consistent ultraviolet embeddings.

O(9, 25) symmetry of heterotic string theory at orders α′, α′2

In a recent study, we have observed that by imposing a truncated T-duality transformation on the circular reduction of the bosonic couplings in the heterotic theory at four- and six-derivative orders, we can calculate these couplings in a particular YM gauge where the YM potential vanishes but its field strength remains non-zero. Importantly, the coupling constants are independent of the gauge choice, so these results are valid across different YM gauge choices.In this work, we explore the cosmological reduction of these couplings when the YM gauge fields belong to the Cartan subalgebra of SO(32) or E8 × E8. We demonstrate that after applying appropriate one-dimensional field redefinitions and total derivative terms, the couplings can be expressed in a proposed O(9, 25)-invariant canonical form, which is the extension of the canonical O(9, 9)-invariant form for just the NS-NS fields proposed by Hohm and Zwiebach. This O(9, 25)-invariant expression is in terms of the trace of the first time derivative of the generalized metric, which encompasses both the YM field and the NS-NS fields.

De Sitter State in Heterotic String Theory

AbstractRecent no‐go theorems have ruled out four‐dimensional classical de Sitter vacua in heterotic string theory. On the other hand, the absence of a well‐defined Wilsonian effective action and other related phenomena also appear to rule out such time‐dependent vacua with de Sitter isometries, even in the presence of quantum corrections. In this note, the authors argued that a four‐dimensional de Sitter space can still exist in heterotic string theory as a Glauber–Sudarshan state, i.e., as an excited state, over a supersymmetric Minkowski background, albeit within a finite temporal domain. Borel resummation and resurgence play a crucial role in constructing such a state in the Hilbert space of heterotic theory governed entirely by the IR degrees of freedom.

On a $\mathbb{Z}_3$-valued discrete topological term in 10d heterotic string theories

On a $\mathbb{Z}_3$-valued discrete topological term in 10d heterotic string theories

A T-duality of non-supersymmetric heterotic strings and an implication for Topological Modular Forms

Motivated by recent developments connecting non-supersymmetric heterotic string theory to the theory of Topological Modular Forms (TMF), we show that the worldsheet theory with central charge (17,32) obtained by fibering the (E8)1 × (E8)1 current algebra over the two N = (0, 1) sigma model on S1 with antiperiodic spin structure (such that the E8 factors are exchanged as we go around the circle), is continuously connected to the (E8)2 theory in the Gaiotto Johnson-Freyd Witten sense of going “up and down the RG trajectories”. Combined with the work of Tachikawa and Yamashita, this furnishes a physical derivation of the fact that the (E8)2 theory corresponds to the unique nontrivial torsion element [(E8)2] of TMF31 with zero mod-2 elliptic genus.

Gravitational index of the heterotic string

The fundamental heterotic string has a tower of BPS states whose supersymmetric index has an exponential growth in the charges. We construct the saddle-point of the gravitational path integral corresponding to this index. The saddle-point configuration is a supersymmetric rotating non-extremal Euclidean black hole. This configuration is singular in the two-derivative theory. We show that the addition of higher-derivative terms in four-dimensional N = 2 supergravity resolves the singularity. In doing so, we extend the recently-developed “new attractor mechanism” to include the effect of higher-derivative terms. Remarkably, the one-loop, four-derivative F-term contribution to the prepotential leads to a precise match of the gravitational and microscopic index. We also comment, using the effective theory near the horizon, on the possibility of a string-size near-extremal black hole. Our results clarify the meaning of different descriptions of this system in the literature. The thermal state transitions to a winding condensate and a gas of strings without ever reaching a small black hole, while the index is captured by the rotating Euclidean black hole solution and is constant and thus smoothly connected to the microscopic ensemble.

Brane profiles of non-supersymmetric strings

We connect the indications of 2D CFT for branes in non-supersymmetric strings to actual spacetime profiles, taking the bulk tadpole potentials into account. We find exact solutions for the uncharged branes that spread in the internal intervals of Dudas-Mourad vacua for non-tachyonic orientifolds and heterotic strings. These solutions involve suitable dressings of the uncharged branes of the nine-dimensional tadpole-free theory. Similar exact results for uncharged branes that are transverse to the internal space, or for charged branes, appear more challenging. Nevertheless, we identify their large-distance behavior, which is determined by linearized equations, and show that it is compatible with the CFT analysis in all expected cases. We also provide some hints on the leading back-reaction of the form-fields.

Modular forms and hierarchical Yukawa couplings in heterotic Calabi-Yau compactifications

We study the modular symmetry in heterotic string theory on Calabi-Yau threefolds. In particular, we examine whether moduli-dependent holomorphic Yukawa couplings are described by modular forms in the context of heterotic string theory with standard embedding. We find that SL(2, ℤ) modular symmetry emerges in asymptotic regions of the Calabi-Yau moduli space. The instanton-corrected holomorphic Yukawa couplings are then given by modular forms under SL(2, ℤ) or its congruence subgroups such as Γ0(3) and Γ0(4). In addition to the modular symmetry, it turns out that another coupling selection rule controls the structure of holomorphic Yukawa couplings. Furthermore, the coexistence of both the positive and negative modular weights for matter fields leads to a hierarchical structure of matter field Kähler metric. Thus, these holomorphic modular forms and the matter field Kähler metric play an important role in realizing a hierarchical structure of physical Yukawa couplings.