1999/01/25 by Andrea Gregori, A. Gregori, Costas Kounnas +3 · 33 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Compactification (mathematics) #Heterotic string theory #Mathematical physics #Mathematics #Moduli #Orbifold #Particle physics #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #Physics #Pure mathematics #Quantum Chromodynamics and Particle Interactions #Quantum mechanics #Superstring theory #Supersymmetry #Triality #Type (biology) #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/s0550-3213(99)00281-3
published in Nuclear Physics B 553(1-2), 108-132 (Elsevier BV) · Latex, no figures, 24 pages
arxiv created 1999/01/25 · openalex publication_date 1999/07/01 · arxiv updated 2014/11/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The non-perturbative equivalence of four-dimensional N=2 superstrings with three vector multiplets and four hypermultiplets is analysed. These models are obtained through freely acting orbifold compactifications from the heterotic, the symmetric and the asymmetric type II strings. The heterotic scalar manifolds are (SU(1,1) / U(1))3 for the S,T,U moduli sitting in the vector multiplets and SO(4,4)/ (SO(4) X SO(4)) for those in the hypermultiplets. The type II symmetric duals correspond to a self-mirror Calabi-Yau threefold compactification with Hodge numbers h(1,1)=h(2,1)=3, while the type II asymmetric construction corresponds to a spontaneous breaking of the N=(4,4) supersymmetry to N=(2,0). Both have already been considered in the literature. The heterotic construction instead is new and we show that there is a weak/strong coupling S-duality relation between the heterotic and the asymmetric type IIA ground state with S(Het)=-1/S(As); we also show that there is a partial restoration of N=8 supersymmetry in the heterotic strong-coupling regime. We compute the full (non-)perturbative R2 and F2 corrections and determine the prepotential.