The global gauge group structure of F-theory compactification with U(1)s

• Published in: The journal of high energy physics 2018-01, Vol.2018 (1), p.1-31, Article 157
• Main Authors: Cvetič, Mirjam, Lin, Ling
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Classical and Quantum Gravitation; Compactification and String Models; Elementary Particles; F-Theory; Gauge Symmetry; Gauge theory; High energy physics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; Quantum Field Theories; Quantum Field Theory; Quantum Physics; Regular Article - Theoretical Physics; Relativity Theory; String Theory
• ISSN: 1029-8479; 1029-8479
• DOI: 10.1007/JHEP01(2018)157

A bstract We show that F-theory compactifications with abelian gauge factors generally exhibit a non-trivial global gauge group structure. The geometric origin of this structure lies with the Shioda map of the Mordell-Weil generators. This results in constraints on the u 1 charges of non-abelian matter consistent with observations made throughout the literature. In particular, we find that F-theory models featuring the Standard Model algebra actually realise the precise gauge group [SU(3) × SU(2) × U(1)]/ ℤ 6 . Furthermore, we explore the relationship between the gauge group structure and geometric (un-)higgsing. In an explicit class of models, we show that, depending on the global group structure, an s u 2 ⊕ u 1 gauge theory can either unhiggs into an SU(2) × SU(2) or an SU(3) × SU(2) theory. We also study implications of the charge constraints as a criterion for the F-theory ‘swampland’.