Beyond Twisted Tori

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that the standard flux constraint in superstring compactifications on twisted tori can be relaxed, enabling new model-building possibilities with fluxes and sources, and clarifies the origin of certain gauged supergravities.

Contribution

It introduces a consistent relaxation of the flux constraint omega.omega=0, expanding the landscape of superstring models with fluxes and sources, and explains the 10D origin of specific N=4 gauged supergravities.

Findings

Relaxation of the omega.omega=0 constraint in flux compactifications.

Construction of new superstring models with fluxes and localized sources.

Identification of the 10D origin of certain N=4 gauged supergravities.

Abstract

Exploiting the fact that Kaluza-Klein monopoles and the associated generalized orbifold planes are sources for geometrical fluxes, omega, we show that the standard constraint omega.omega=0, valid for superstring compactifications on twisted tori, can be consistently relaxed. This leads to novel possibilities for constructing superstring models with fluxes and localized sources, as well as for stabilizing moduli. This also explains the ten-dimensional origin of a family of N=4 gauged supergravities, whose interpretation in type-IIA orientifold compactifications was lacking.