On the Hyperbolic Structure of Moduli Spaces With 16 SUSYs

TL;DR

This paper explores the structure of moduli spaces in heterotic string theories with 16 supersymmetries, revealing a Lorentzian bilinear form and various duality limits including M-theory and type II theories on K3 surfaces.

Contribution

It introduces a unique bilinear form determined by dualities that characterizes the moduli space, and identifies multiple limiting descriptions of heterotic string theories.

Findings

Bilinear form becomes Lorentzian in one dimension

Multiple dual descriptions including M-theory and type II on K3

Potential discovery of new limits not yet understood

Abstract

We study the asymptotic limits of the heterotic string theories compactified on tori. We find a bilinear form uniquely determined by dualities which becomes Lorentzian in the case of one spacetime dimension. For the case of the SO(32) theory, the limiting descriptions include SO(32) heterotic strings, type I, type IA and other T-duals, M-theory on K3, type IIA theory on K3 and type IIB theory on K3 and possibly new limits not understood yet.