Spacetime supersymmetry in low-dimensional perturbative heterotic compactifications

Ilarion V. Melnikov , Ruben Minasian (1) , Savdeep Sethi

1 IPHT - Institut de Physique Théorique - UMR CNRS 3681

We study the constraints of spacetime supersymmetry for perturbative three– and two–dimensionalMinkowski vacua of the critical heterotic string. Assuming a standard RNS constructionof the spacetime supersymmetry generators and a compact unitary internal superconformalworldsheet theory, we describe the worldsheet structures associated to various spacetimesupersymmetries. In three dimensions we show that there are no CFT surprises: eachallowed spacetime supersymmetry is realized by a supergravity compactification. Asa recent orbifold construction shows, in two dimensions there are more exotic possibilities,and we discuss how these fit into our analysis.

Mots clés: compactification; heterotic string; compactification: heterotic; vacuum state: Minkowski; string model: heterotic; sigma model: nonlinear; coupling: nonlinear; field theory: conformal; supersymmetry; space-time; supergravity; unitarity; string

Domaines: Physique des Hautes Energies - Théorie [hep-th]

Ilarion V. Melnikov, Ruben Minasian, Savdeep Sethi. Spacetime supersymmetry in low-dimensional perturbative heterotic compactifications. Fortsch.Phys., 2018, 66 (5), pp.1800027. ⟨10.1002/prop.201800027⟩. ⟨hal-01827847⟩