On Type II$_0$ Loci in Moduli Space

TL;DR

This paper investigates type II$_0$ loci in Calabi-Yau moduli spaces, revealing their connection to non-perturbative sectors with complex charges and implications for infinite distance limits in quantum gravity.

Contribution

It demonstrates that near these loci, gauge kinetic terms can be viewed as threshold corrections from complex-charged BPS states, linking non-perturbative effects to infinite distance phenomena.

Findings

Threshold corrections from complex-charged BPS states explain gauge kinetic behavior.

Identification of a strongly-coupled matter sector involving light electric and magnetic states.

Connection between non-perturbative sectors and infinite distance limits in moduli space.

Abstract

We study type II$_0$ loci in the moduli space of type IIB string theory compactified on Calabi-Yau manifolds. We show that around these infinite distance singular loci the leading order behaviour of the gauge kinetic matrix, and of the prepotential, can always be written in the form of a threshold correction from integrating out a BPS state, but one with an effectively complex charge. In order to understand the physical meaning of this, we carefully identify the splitting in the effective supergravity between the graviphoton direction and matter vector multiplets. Within a specific two-parameter example of a Calabi-Yau, we use this to identify a strongly-coupled matter sector involving both light electric and light magnetic states. We propose that the leading gauge kinetic matrix arises as a threshold correction from integrating out this non-perturbative sector, and that the sector has an effective weakly-coupled infrared description in terms of the complex-charged state. The region in moduli space has a Heterotic string dual microscopic description. The light magnetic state in this description corresponds to a Kaluza-Klein monopole, which becomes lighter than the fundamental Heterotic string, leading to the non-perturbative sector. Assuming this picture is correct, it implies the existence of infrared emergent infinite distance loci in moduli spaces of quantum gravity.