M theory, orientifolds and \(G\)-flux. (English) Zbl 1060.81575

Dasgupta, Keshav; Rajesh, Govindan; Sethi, Savdeep

J. High Energy Phys. 1999, No. 8, Paper No. 23, 26 p. (1999).

Summary: We study the properties of M and F theory compactifications to three and four dimensions with background fluxes. We provide a simple construction of supersymmetric vacua, including some with orientifold descriptions. These vacua, which have warp factors, typically have fewer moduli than conventional Calabi-Yau compactifications. The mechanism for anomaly cancellation in the orientifold models involves background RR and NS fluxes. We consider in detail an orientifold of \(K3 \times T^2\) with background fluxes. After a combination of \(T\) and \(S\)-dualities, this type IIB orientifold is mapped to a compactification of the SO(32) heterotic string on a non-Kähler space with torsion.

MSC:

81T30

String and superstring theories; other extended objects (e.g., branes) in quantum field theory