An Analysis of Fluxes by Duality

TL;DR

This paper explores dualities in M-theory compactifications, analyzing flux effects beyond supergravity approximations, and reveals how fluxes can obstruct moduli and convert M2-branes through duality relations.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of flux effects in M-theory dual pairs without relying on supergravity, highlighting new phenomena at short distances.

Findings

Fluxes can obstruct more moduli than supergravity predicts.

Transitions can convert M2-branes into G-flux.

Duality relations reveal new short-distance effects.

Abstract

M-theory on K3xK3 with non-supersymmetry-breaking G-flux is dual to M-theory on a Calabi-Yau threefold times a 2-torus without flux. This allows for a thorough analysis of the effects of flux without relying on supergravity approximations. We discuss several dual pairs showing that the usual rules of G-flux compactifications work well in detail. We discuss how a transition can convert M2-branes into G-flux. We see how new effects can arise at short distances allowing fluxes to obstruct more moduli than one expects from the supergravity analysis.