Abstract
We study the physics of singular limits of G 2 compactifications of M-theory, which are necessary to obtain a compactification with non-abelian gauge symmetry or massless charged particles. This is more difficult than for Calabi-Yau compactifications, due to the absence of calibrated two-cycles that would have allowed for direct control of W-boson masses as a function of moduli. Instead, we study the relationship between gauge enhancement and singular limits in G 2 moduli space where an associative or coassociative submanifold shrinks to zero size; this involves the physics of topological defects and sometimes gives indirect control over particle masses, even though they are not BPS. We show how a lemma of Joyce associates the class of a three-cycle to any U(1) gauge theory in a smooth G 2 compactification. If there is an appropriate associative submanifold in this class then in the limit of nonabelian gauge symmetry it may be interpreted as a gauge theory worldvolume and provides the location of the singularities associated with non-abelian gauge or matter fields. We identify a number of gauge enhancement scenarios related to calibrated submanifolds, including Coulomb branches and non-isolated conifolds, and also study examples that realize them.
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Halverson, J., Morrison, D.R. On gauge enhancement and singular limits in G 2 compactifications of M-theory. J. High Energ. Phys. 2016, 100 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP04(2016)100
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP04(2016)100