Monstrous String-String Duality

TL;DR

This paper explores a unified framework for supersymmetry-preserving orbifolds in string theory using moonshine symmetries, revealing new dualities and vacua in lower dimensions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach by employing Fischer-Greiss monster subgroups and moonshine results to analyze dual pairs and construct new string vacua.

Findings

Duality involves nontrivial localized Ramond-Ramond fluxes.

Orbifolding by (-1)^{F_L} yields new non-conformal N=2 vacua.

Unified treatment of orbifolds in various dimensions.

Abstract

We analyze the general class of supersymmetry preserving orbifolds of strong/weak Type IIA/heterotic dual pairs in six dimensions and below. A unified treatment is given by considering compactification to two spacetime dimensions and constructing orbifolds by subgroups of the Fischer-Greiss monster, utilizing the moonshine results of Conway and Norton. Duality requires nontrivial Ramond-Ramond fluxes on the Type IIA side which are localized at the fixed points. Further orbifolding by (-1)^{F_L} gives examples of new four dimensional N=2 Type IIA vacua which are not conformal field theory backgrounds.