String and M-theory Deformations of Manifolds with Special Holonomy

TL;DR

This paper investigates how string and M-theory corrections deform special holonomy manifolds used in supergravity compactifications, showing that supersymmetry is preserved despite these deformations.

Contribution

It extends the analysis of supersymmetry preservation under manifold deformations to Spin(7) and non-compact SU(5) backgrounds, broadening understanding of holonomy perturbations.

Findings

Supersymmetry remains preserved despite holonomy deformations.

Deformations induced by string and M-theory corrections do not break supersymmetry.

Holonomy is perturbed from special to general holonomy while maintaining supersymmetry.

Abstract

The R^4-type corrections to ten and eleven dimensional supergravity required by string and M-theory imply corrections to supersymmetric supergravity compactifications on manifolds of special holonomy, which deform the metric away from the original holonomy. Nevertheless, in many such cases, including Calabi-Yau compactifications of string theory and G_2-compactifications of M-theory, it has been shown that the deformation preserves supersymmetry because of associated corrections to the supersymmetry transformation rules, Here, we consider Spin(7) compactifications in string theory and M-theory, and a class of non-compact SU(5) backgrounds in M-theory. Supersymmetry survives in all these cases too, despite the fact that the original special holonomy is perturbed into general holonomy in each case.