SUSY Gauge Dynamics and Singularities of 4d N=1 String Vacua

TL;DR

This paper explains certain singularities in 4d N=1 string vacua as arising from non-perturbative gauge dynamics, providing a new understanding of these phenomena in heterotic string compactifications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel interpretation of moduli space singularities in heterotic strings through non-perturbative gauge dynamics, linking conformal field theory singularities to gauge theory effects.

Findings

Singularities correspond to non-perturbative gauge boson dynamics

Yukawa coupling poles are explained by gauge theory effects

Provides a framework for understanding moduli space singularities

Abstract

Many N=1 heterotic string compactifications exhibit physically mysterious singularities at codimension one in the moduli space of vacua. At these singularities, Yukawa couplings of charged fields develop poles as a function of the moduli. We explain these conformal field theory singularities, in a class of examples, as arising from non-perturbative gauge dynamics of non-perturbative gauge bosons (whose gauge coupling is the sigma model coupling) in the string theory.