Local models of heterotic flux vacua: spacetime and worldsheet aspects

TL;DR

This paper explores heterotic flux compactifications using worldsheet methods, focusing on local models like torus fibrations over warped Eguchi-Hanson spaces, revealing solvable CFT descriptions and the significance of non-perturbative effects.

Contribution

It introduces a double-scaling limit for resolved singularities that yields smooth, weakly coupled geometries with solvable worldsheet CFT descriptions, advancing understanding of heterotic flux vacua.

Findings

Identification of a double-scaling limit for resolved singularities

Existence of solvable worldsheet CFT descriptions in this limit

Highlighting the role of non-perturbative effects in heterotic solutions

Abstract

We report on some recent progress in understanding heterotic flux compactifications, from a worldsheet perspective mainly. We consider local models consisting in torus fibration over warped Eguchi-Hanson space and non-K\"ahler resolved conifold geometries. We analyze the supergravity solutions and define a double-scaling limit of the resolved singularities, defined such that the geometry is smooth and weakly coupled. We show that, remarkably, the heterotic solutions admit solvable worldsheet CFT descriptions in this limit. This allows in particular to understand the important role of worldsheet non-perturbative effects.