Heterotic T-fects, 6D SCFTs, and F-Theory

TL;DR

This paper explores six-dimensional superconformal field theories on defects in non-geometric heterotic backgrounds, dualities with F-theory on elliptic K3-fibered Calabi-Yau threefolds, and the classification of resulting SCFTs.

Contribution

It explicitly determines SCFTs on defects in heterotic backgrounds and reveals dualities where different defects share the same IR fixed point.

Findings

Most dual threefolds have non-resolvable singularities.

Resolved singularities yield explicit SCFTs on defects.

Certain non-geometric defects correspond to small heterotic instantons on ADE singularities.

Abstract

We study the $(1,0)$ six-dimensional SCFTs living on defects of non-geometric heterotic backgrounds (T-fects) preserving a $E_7\times E_8$ subgroup of $E_8\times E_8$. These configurations can be dualized explicitly to F-theory on elliptic K3-fibered non-compact Calabi-Yau threefolds. We find that the majority of the resulting dual threefolds contain non-resolvable singularities. In those cases in which we can resolve the singularities we explicitly determine the SCFTs living on the defect. We find a form of duality in which distinct defects are described by the same IR fixed point. For instance, we find that a subclass of non-geometric defects are described by the SCFT arising from small heterotic instantons on ADE singularities.