M-Theory Model-Building and Proton Stability

Abstract

We study the problem of baryon stability in M theory, starting from realistic four-dimensional string models constructed using the free-fermion formulation of the weakly-coupled heterotic string. Suitable variants of these models manifest an enhanced custodial gauge symmetry that forbids to all orders the appearance of dangerous dimension-five baryon-decay operators. We exhibit the underlying geometric (bosonic) interpretation of these models, which have a $Z_2\times Z_2$ orbifold structure similar, but not identical, to the class of Calabi-Yau threefold compactifications of M and F theory investigated by Voisin and Borcea. A related generalization of their work may provide a solution to the problem of proton stability in M theory.

14 pages. Standard Latex

Cited by in corpus (46)

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• Baryogenesis in Models with a Low Quantum Gravity Scale
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• On the Number of Chiral Generations in Z2 X Z2 Orbifolds
• A Minimal Superstring Standard Model II: A Phenomenological Study
• Five-Dimensional Aspects of M-Theory Dynamics and Supersymmetry Breaking
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• Doublet-Triplet Splitting in Realistic Heterotic String Derived models
• Minimal Standard Heterotic String Models
• Affleck-Dine baryogenesis after thermal brane inflation
• Partition functions of NAHE-based free fermionic string models
• Proton Decay, Black Holes, and Large Extra Dimensions
• Flat Directions in Three-Generation Free-Fermionic String Models
• A Black Hole Conjecture and Rare Decays in Theories with Low Scale Gravity
• Affleck-Dine baryogenesis in the local domain
• Spinor-Vector Duality in Heterotic String Orbifolds
• GUT Relations from String Theory Compactifications
• A Family--Universal Anomalous U(1) in String Models as the Origin of Supersymmetry Breaking and Squark Degeneracy
• Moduli Fixing in Realistic String Vacua
• Quasi-realistic heterotic-string models with vanishing one-loop cosmological constant and perturbatively broken supersymmetry?
• Proton Stability and Superstring Z'
• Investigation of Quasi--Realistic Heterotic String Models with Reduced Higgs Spectrum
• Compactification and Supersymmetry Breaking in M-theory
• Light Z' in Heterotic String Standard-like Models
• String Inspired Z' Model With Stable Proton and Light Neutrino Masses
• Twenty-five Questions for String Theorists
• Nonperturbative flipped SU(5) vacua in heterotic M-theory
• Higgs--Matter splitting in quasi-realistic orbifold string GUTs
• Soft Terms in M-theory
• Proton Stability, Gauge Coupling Unification and a Light $Z^{\prime }$ in Heterotic-string Models
• Five-Dimensional Gauged Supergravity and Supersymmetry Breaking in $M$~Theory
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• Suppressing dimension-5 operators in general SU(5) models
• Proton Stability and Dark Matter in a Realistic String MSSM
• Yukawa couplings in SO(10) heterotic M-theory vacua
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• Gauge-flavon unification
• Possible Limits on Photon Propagation from Quantum Gravity and Space-time Foam
• The dark dimension, proton decay, and the length of the M-theory interval
• Split supersymmetry and the role of a light fermion in a supergravity-based scenario