2015/06/30 by James Halverson, Washington Taylor · 58 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Base (topology) #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Compactification (mathematics) #F-theory #Gauge theory #Mathematical analysis #Mathematical physics #Mathematics #Moduli #Moduli space #Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #Physics #Pure mathematics #Quantum mechanics #String theory #Theoretical physics #Vector bundle #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/jhep09(2015)086
published in Journal of High Energy Physics 2015(9) (Springer Nature) · 51 pages + references, appendices. v2: references added
arxiv created 2015/07/03 · openalex publication_date 2015/09/01 · arxiv updated 2015/10/28 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
We explore a large class of F-theory compactifications to four dimensions. We find evidence that gauge groups that cannot be Higgsed without breaking supersymmetry, often accompanied by associated matter fields, are a ubiquitous feature in the landscape of N=1 4D F-theory constructions. In particular, we study 4D F-theory models that arise from compactification on threefold bases that are ℙ1 bundles over certain toric surfaces. These bases are one natural analogue to the minimal models for base surfaces for 6D F-theory compactifications. Of the roughly 100,000 bases that we study, only 80 are weak Fano bases in which there are no automatic singularities on the associated elliptic Calabi-Yau fourfolds, and 98.3% of the bases have geometrically non-Higgsable gauge factors. The ℙ1 -bundle threefold bases we analyze contain a wide range of distinct surface topologies that support geometrically non-Higgsable clusters. Many of the bases that we consider contain SU(3) × SU(2) seven-brane clusters for generic values of deformation moduli; we analyze the relative frequency of this combination relative to the other four possible two-factor non-Higgsable product groups, as well as various other features such as geometrically non-Higgsable candidates for dark matter structure and phenomenological (SU(2)-charged) Higgs fields.