A heterotic standard model

by Burt Ovrut (University of Pennsylvania)

Tuesday 29 Nov 2005, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/Zurich

TH Auditorium (CERN)

A phenomenologically realistic vacuum of the E8 X E8 heterotic superstring will be discussed in detail. The mathematical structure of the associated Calabi-Yau threefold and holomorphic vector bundles will be described and a formalism for computing the low energy spectrum using sheaf cohomology presented. Using this formalism, the exact spectrum will be calculated, including the number of vector bundle moduli. An explicit construction of the mu-terms in this vacuum will be carried out and shown to be non-vanishing. In the process, we will demonstrate the existence of two selection rules, arising from the structure of the Calabi-Yau manifold, that restrict the interactions in the superpotential. These will be used to compute the Yukawa couplings and to show that pure moduli cubic couplings must vanish. This vacuum has no exotic states, no vector-like pairs and, in its minimal form, the exact matter spectrum of the MSSM. Hence the name 'A Heterotic Standard Model'.