Gauge symmetry breaking with fluxes and natural Standard Model structure from exceptional GUTs in F-theory

TL;DR

This paper explores gauge symmetry breaking in 4D F-theory models using fluxes, enabling the realization of Standard Model-like theories with chiral matter from exceptional gauge groups.

Contribution

It provides a general framework for gauge symmetry breaking with fluxes in F-theory, focusing on exceptional groups like E7 and E6 to naturally realize Standard Model structures.

Findings

Fluxes can break gauge groups and induce chiral matter.

Models with E7, E6, and SU(5) produce Standard Model-like spectra.

Small number of matter generations achieved in F-theory.

Abstract

We give a general description of gauge symmetry breaking using vertical and remainder fluxes in 4D F-theory models. The fluxes can break a geometric gauge group to a smaller group and induce chiral matter, even when the larger group admits no chiral matter representations. We focus specifically on applications to realizations of the Standard Model gauge group and chiral matter spectrum through breaking of rigid exceptional gauge groups $E_7, E_6$, which are ubiquitous in the 4D F-theory landscape. Supplemented by an intermediate $\mathrm{SU}(5)$ group, these large classes of models give natural constructions of Standard Model-like theories with small numbers of generations of matter in F-theory.