Dr Andrei Constantin

Abstract:

We propose an analytic method to calculate the matter field Kähler metric in heterotic compactifications on smooth Calabi-Yau three-folds with Abelian internal gauge fields. The matter field Kähler metric determines the normalisations of the N = 1 chiral superfields, which enter the computation of the physical Yukawa couplings. We first derive the general formula for this Kähler metric by a dimensional reduction of the relevant supergravity theory and find that its T-moduli dependence can be determined in general. It turns out that, due to large internal gauge flux, the remaining integrals localise around certain points on the compactification manifold and can, hence, be calculated approximately without precise knowledge of the Ricci-flat Calabi-Yau metric. In a final step, we show how this local result can be expressed in terms of the global moduli of the Calabi-Yau manifold. The method is illustrated for the family of Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces embedded in ℙ1× ℙ3and we obtain an explicit result for the matter field Kähler metric in this case.

Abstract:

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.

Abstract:

We analyze Yukawa unification in the context of E8×E8 heterotic Calabi-Yau models which rely on breaking to a grand unified theory (GUT) via a nonflat 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.

Abstract:

We compute the Hodge numbers for the quotients of complete intersection Calabi-Yau three-folds by groups of orders divisible by 4. We make use of the polynomial deformation method and the counting of invariant Kahler classes. The quotients studied here have been obtained in the automated classification of V. Braun. Although the computer search found the freely acting groups, the Hodge numbers of the quotients were not calculated. The freely acting groups, G, that arise in the classification are either Z2 or contain Z4, Z2*Z2, Z3 or Z5 as a subgroup. The Hodge numbers for the quotients for which the group G contains Z3 or Z5 have been computed previously. This paper deals with the remaining cases, for which G⊇Z4 or G⊇Z2*Z2. We also compute the Hodge numbers for 99 of the 166 CICY's which have Z2 quotients.

Abstract:

Within the class of heterotic line bundle models, we argue that (Formula presented.) vacua which lead to a small number of low-energy chiral families are preferred. By imposing an upper limit on the volume of the internal manifold, as required in order to obtain finite values of the four-dimensional gauge couplings, and validity of the supergravity approximation we show that, for a given manifold, only a finite number of line bundle sums are consistent with supersymmetry. By explicitly scanning over this finite set of line bundle models on certain manifolds we show that, for a sufficiently small volume of the internal manifold, the family number distribution peaks at small values, consistent with three chiral families. The relation between the maximal number of families and the gauge coupling is discussed, which hints towards a possible explanation of the family problem.