MSSM via Pati-Salam from Intersecting Branes on $T^6/(\mathbf{\Z_2} \times \mathbf{\Z_2'})$

TL;DR

This paper constructs a realistic MSSM-like model from intersecting D-branes on a specific orientifold, achieving gauge coupling unification and realistic matter content without unwanted moduli.

Contribution

It presents a novel intersecting brane setup on a rigid 3-cycle orientifold that yields a three-generation MSSM with gauge unification and no adjoint moduli.

Findings

MSSM-like spectrum with three generations and right-handed neutrinos

Yukawa couplings allowed by global symmetries

Gauge couplings unify at the string scale

Abstract

We construct an MSSM-like model via Pati-Salam from intersecting D-branes in Type IIA theory on the $\Z_2 \times \Z_2'$ orientifold where the D-branes wrap rigid 3-cycles. Because the 3-cycles are rigid, there are no extra massless fields in the adjoint representation, arising as open-string moduli. The presence of these unobserved fields would create difficulties with asymptotic freedom as well as the prediction of gauge unification. The model constructed has four generations of MSSM matter plus right-handed neutrinos, as well as additional vector-like representations. In addition, we find that all of the required Yukawa couplings are allowed by global symmetries which arise from U(1)'s which become massive via a generalized Green-Schwarz mechanism. Furthermore, we find that the tree-level gauge couplings are unified at the string scale.