On Type II Superstrings in Less Than Four Dimensions

TL;DR

This paper investigates the limitations of deriving the Standard Model from perturbative Type II superstring theories compactified to fewer than four dimensions, highlighting the necessity of non-perturbative fields.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the Standard Model cannot be obtained from the perturbative sector of Type II superstrings with less than four compact dimensions, emphasizing the role of non-perturbative fields.

Findings

Standard Model not realizable perturbatively in compactifications under four dimensions

Non-perturbative fields are essential for Standard Model construction from Type II strings

Analysis extended to compactifications with eight dimensions

Abstract

We study gauge theories which are associated with classical vacua of perturbative Type II string theory that allows for a conformal field theory description. We show that even if we compactify seven spatial dimensions (allowing for one macroscopic dimension to arise non-perturbatively) the Standard Model cannot be obtained from the perturbative sector of Type II superstrings. Therefore, the construction of the Standard Model (or extensions thereof) from M theory must involve fields that are non-perturbative from the Type II perspective. We also address the case of eight compact dimensions.