Z_3 orbifolds of the SO(32) heterotic string: 1 Wilson line embeddings

TL;DR

This paper systematically classifies all possible Wilson line embeddings in a Z_3 orbifold compactification of the SO(32) heterotic string, revealing new gauge group structures and hidden sectors relevant for string phenomenology.

Contribution

It provides a complete enumeration of 159 embeddings and analyzes their resulting gauge symmetries, including novel hidden sector configurations not possible in E_8 x E_8 models.

Findings

Identified all possible gauge group breakings with one Wilson line

Discovered embeddings leading to extended gauge symmetries like SU(3)^3

Compared hidden sector possibilities between SO(32) and E_8 x E_8 models

Abstract

We consider compactification of the SO(32) heterotic string on a 6-dimensional Z_3 orbifold with one discrete Wilson line. A complete set of all possible embeddings is given, 159 in all. The unbroken subgroups of SO(32) are tabulated. The extended gauge symmetry SU(3)^3, recently discussed by J. E. Kim [hep-th/0301177] for semi-realistic E_8 x E_8 heterotic string models, occurs for several embeddings, as well as other groups that may be of interest in unified string models. The extent to which extra gauge group factors can be hidden is discussed and compared to the E_8 x E_8 case. Along flat directions where an effective hidden sector exists, the embeddings described here provide for hidden gauge groups that are not possible in the E_8 x E_8 heterotic string.