Roberto Valandro

G-flux in F-theory and algebraic cycles

Abstract We construct explicit G 4 fluxes in F-theory compactifications. Our method relies on identifying algebraic cycles in the Weierstrass equation of elliptic Calabi–Yau fourfolds. We show how to compute the D 3-brane tadpole and the induced chirality indices directly in F-theory. Whenever a weak coupling limit is available, we compare and successfully match our findings to the corresponding results in type IIB string theory. Finally, we present some generalizations of our results which hint at a unified description of the elliptic Calabi–Yau fourfold together with the four-form flux G 4 as a coherent sheaf. In this description the close link between G 4 fluxes and algebraic cycles is manifest.

D-branes at del Pezzo singularities: global embedding and moduli stabilisation

A bstractIn the context of type IIB string theory we combine moduli stabilisation and model building on branes at del Pezzo singularities in a fully consistent global compactification. By means of toric geometry, we classify all the Calabi-Yau manifolds with 3 < h1,1 < 6 which admit two identical del Pezzo singularities mapped into each other under the orientifold involution. This effective singularity hosts the visible sector containing the Standard Model while the Kähler moduli are stabilised via a combination of D-terms, perturbative and non-perturbative effects supported on hidden sectors. We present concrete models where the visible sector, containing the Standard Model, gauge and matter content, is built via fractional D3-branes at del Pezzo singularities and all the Kähler moduli are fixed providing an explicit realisation of both KKLT and LARGE volume scenarios, the latter with D-term uplifting to de Sitter minima. We perform the consistency checks for global embedding such as tadpole, K-theory charges and Freed-Witten anomaly cancellation. We briefly discuss phenomenological and cosmological implications of our models.

Building an explicit de Sitter

A bstractWe construct an explicit example of a de Sitter vacuum in type IIB string theory that realizes the proposal of Kähler uplifting. As the large volume limit in this method depends on the rank of the largest condensing gauge group we carry out a scan of gauge group ranks over the Kreuzer-Skarke set of toric Calabi-Yau threefolds. We find large numbers of models with the largest gauge group factor easily exceeding a rank of one hundred. We construct a global model with Kähler uplifting on a two-parameter model on

Moduli stabilisation for chiral global models

\mathbb{CP}_{11169}^4

Explicit de Sitter flux vacua for global string models with chiral matter

, by an explicit analysis from both the type IIB and F-theory point of view. The explicitness of the construction lies in the realization of a D7 brane configuration, gauge flux and RR and NS flux choices, such that all known consistency conditions are met and the geometric moduli are stabilized in a metastable de Sitter vacuum with spontaneous GUT scale supersymmetry breaking driven by an F-term of the Kähler moduli.

De Sitter from T-branes

A bstractWe combine moduli stabilisation and (chiral) model building in a fully con-sistent global set-up in Type IIB/F-theory. We consider compactifications on Calabi-Yau orientifolds which admit an explicit description in terms of toric geometry. We build globally consistent compactifications with tadpole and Freed-Witten anomaly cancellation by choosing appropriate brane set-ups and world-volume fluxes which also give rise to SU(5) or MSSM-like chiral models. We fix all the Kähler moduli within the Kähler cone and the regime of validity of the 4D effective field theory. This is achieved in a way compatible with the local presence of chirality. The hidden sector generating the non-perturbative effects is placed on a del Pezzo divisor that does not have any chiral intersection with any other brane. In general, the vanishing D-term condition implies the shrinking of the rigid divisor supporting the visible sector. However, we avoid this problem by generating r < n D-term conditions on a set of n intersecting divisors. The remaining (n − r) flat directions are fixed by perturbative corrections to the Kähler potential. We illustrate our general claims in an explicit example. We consider a K3-fibred Calabi-Yau with four Kähler moduli, that is a hypersurface in a toric ambient space and admits a ‘simple’ F-theory up-lift. We present explicit choices of brane set-ups and fluxes which lead to three different phenomenological scenarios: the first with GUT-scale strings and TeV-scale SUSY by fine-tuning the background fluxes; the second with an exponentially large value of the volume and TeV-scale SUSY without fine-tuning the background fluxes; and the third with a very anisotropic configuration that leads to TeV-scale strings and two micron-sized extra dimensions. The K3 fibration structure of the Calabi-Yau three-fold is also particularly suitable for cosmological purposes.

The fate of U(1)'s at strong coupling in F-theory

A bstractWe address the open question of performing an explicit stabilisation of all closed string moduli (including dilaton, complex structure and Kähler moduli) in fluxed type IIB Calabi-Yau compactifications with chiral matter. Using toric geometry we construct Calabi-Yau manifolds with del Pezzo singularities. D-branes located at such singularities can support the Standard Model gauge group and matter content or some close extensions. In order to control complex structure moduli stabilisation we consider Calabi-Yau manifolds which exhibit a discrete symmetry that reduces the effective number of complex structure moduli. We calculate the corresponding periods in the symplectic basis of invariant three-cycles and find explicit flux vacua for concrete examples. We compute the values of the flux superpotential and the string coupling at these vacua. Starting from these explicit complex structure solutions, we obtain AdS and dS minima where the Kähler moduli are stabilised by a mixture of D-terms, non-perturbative and perturbative α′ corrections as in the LARGE Volume Scenario. In the considered example the visible sector lives at a dP6 singularity which can be higgsed to the phenomenologically interesting class of models at the dP3 singularity.

D3/D7 branes at singularities: Constraints from global embedding and moduli stabilisation

A bstractHidden sector D7-branes with non-zero gauge flux are a generic feature of type IIB compactifications. A non-vanishing Fayet-Iliopoulos term induced by non-zero gauge flux leads to a T-brane configuration. Expanding the D7-brane action around this T-brane background in the presence of three-form supersymmetry breaking fluxes, we obtain a positive definite contribution to the moduli scalar potential which can be used as an uplifting source for de Sitter vacua. In this way we provide a higher-dimensional understanding of known 4D mechanisms of de Sitter uplifting based on hidden sector F-terms which are non-zero because of D-term stabilisation.

Global string embeddings for the nilpotent Goldstino

A bstractU(1) gauge symmetries in F-theory are expected to manifest themselves as codimension three singularities of Calabi-Yau fourfolds. However, some of these are known to become massive at strong coupling via the Stückelberg mechanism. In this note, we propose a geometric picture for detecting all U(1)’s, and determining which ones are massive and which ones are massless. We find that massive gauge symmetries show up as codimension three singularities that only admit small, non-Kähler, resolutions. Our proposal passes several highly non-trivial tests, including a case with a non-diagonal mass matrix.

Moduli stabilisation with nilpotent goldstino: vacuum structure and SUSY breaking

A bstractIn the framework of type IIB string compactifications on Calabi-Yau orien-tifolds we describe how to construct consistent global embeddings of models with fractional D3-branes and connected ‘flavour’ D7-branes at del Pezzo singularities with moduli stabilisation. Our results are applied to build an explicit compact example with a left-right symmetric model at a dP0 singularity which features three families of chiral matter and gauge coupling unification at the intermediate scale. We show how to stabilise the moduli obtaining a controlled de Sitter minimum and spontaneous supersymmetry breaking. We find an interesting non-trivial dynamical relation between the requirement of TeV-scale soft terms and the correct phenomenological values of the unified gauge coupling and unification scale.