https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-022-02456-6
Regular Article
Small-instanton transitions in F-theory
1
Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, 03760, Seoul, Korea
2
Scranton Honors Program, Ewha Womans University, 03760, Seoul, Korea
3
Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics, 37673, Postech, Pohang, Korea
Received:
4
January
2021
Accepted:
7
February
2022
Published online:
25
February
2022
We study the phase transition between G-instantons and D3-branes quantitatively. A G-instanton is a classical solution to the self-dual equation of the M/F-theory three-form tensor field C in the complex fourfold. This phase transition is dual to that between ‘vertical’ small instantons and 5-branes in the heterotic string. Using G as a background gauge flux, we may dynamically control the gauge symmetry breaking and connect between different vacua of F-theory. We may understand the amount of flux undergoing the phase transition and the resulting number of D3-branes in terms of group-theoretical quantities. We also discuss the resulting chirality change and preservation of anomaly freedom.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2022
