Orbifold and Orientifold Compactifications of F-Theory and M-Theory to Six and Four Dimensions

Abstract

We study orbifold compactifications of F-theory which lead to $N=1$ supersymmetry in 6 and 4 spacetime dimensions. These are dual to specific orientifolds of M-theory, and in many cases to orientifolds of type IIB string theory. The equivalences are demonstrated by mapping the orbifolding transformations in the F, M and string theories to each other using dualities. We observe that M and F-theory appear to possess a property similar to discrete torsion in string theory. This is related to an ambiguity recently noted by Polchinski in the orientifold projection for 6-dimensional models. The 4-dimensional compactifications exhibit similar features, from which we predict the existence of certain new orientifolds of type IIB. Some orbifolds with higher supersymmetry are also examined.

Harvmac, 30 pages (big). Additional argument relating orientifolding ambiguity to discrete torsion inserted near the end of Sec. 6, a few clarifying remarks and one reference added

References in corpus (14)

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• Phase Transitions In M-Theory And F-Theory
• F-theory and Orientifolds
• F-Theory at Constant Coupling
• Anomalies, Dualities, and Topology of D=6 N=1 Superstring Vacua
• K3 Orientifolds
• Strings on Orientifolds
• An Orientifold of Type-IIB Theory on $K3$
• Duality and Orbifolds
• An Orientifold from F Theory
• Multiple Realisations of N=1 Vacua in Six Dimensions
• Orbifolds of M-Theory and String Theory
• F-Theory on Calabi-Yau Fourfolds
• Compactification of $M$-Theory to Two Dimensions

Cited by in corpus (43)

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• Compactifications of Heterotic Strings on Non-Kahler Complex Manifolds: II
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• Matrix Theory
• Theory and Phenomenology of Type I strings and M-theory
• Consistency Conditions for Branes at Orbifold Singularities
• A New Handle on de Sitter Compactifications
• Type IIB Orientifolds, F-theory, Type I Strings on Orbifolds and Type I - Heterotic Duality
• Field Theory Questions for String Theory Answers
• The Mirror Transform of Type I Vacua in Six Dimensions
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• Non-Perturbative Heterotic D=6,4 Orbifold Vacua
• A Review of Distributions on the String Landscape
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• Landscape Cartography: A Coarse Survey of Gauge Group Rank and Stabilization of the Proton
• Toward the classification of the realistic free fermionic models
• Duality in Heterotic Vacua With Four Supercharges
• F Theory Orientifolds, M Theory Orientifolds, and Twisted Strings
• Discrete torsion in non-geometric orbifolds and their open-string descendants
• The twelve dimensional super (2+2)-brane
• F-theory and the Gimon-Polchinski Orientifold
• Surveying Standard Model Flux Vacua on $T^6/Z_2\times Z_2$
• Intersecting Orbifold Planes and Local Anomaly Cancellation in M-Theory
• On the Complementarity of F-theory, Orientifolds, and Heterotic Strings
• Unification of M- and F- Theory Calabi-Yau Fourfold Vacua
• Dirichlet Joyce Manifolds, Discrete Torsion and Duality
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• Enhanced supersymmetry from vanishing Euler number
• D=6, N=1 String Vacua and Duality
• Gauge/Gravity Duality in Heterotic String Theory
• Weierstrass meets Enriques
• A Mirror Pair of Calabi-Yau Fourfolds in Type II String Theory
• On Mirror Maps for Manifolds of Exceptional Holonomy
• Orientifolds of type IIA strings on Calabi-Yau manifolds
• Spin(7) duality for N=1 CS-matter theories
• Stringy Cosmic Strings and Compactifications of F-theory
• F-Theory, Seiberg-Witten Curves and N = 2 Dualities
• Elliptic Singularities, θ-Puzzle and Domain Walls