Heterotic weight lifting

Abstract

We describe a method for constructing genuinely asymmetric (2, 0) heterotic strings out of N = 2 minimal models in the fermionic sector, whereas the bosonic sector is only partly build out of N = 2 minimal models. This is achieved by replacing one minimal model plus the superfluous E8 factor by a non-supersymmetric CFT with identical modular properties. This CFT generically lifts the weights in the bosonic sector, giving rise to a spectrum with fewer massless states. We identify more than 30 such lifts, and we expect many more to exist. This yields more than 450 different combinations. Remarkably, despite the lifting of all Ramond states, it is still possible to get chiral spectra. Even more surprisingly, these chiral spectra include examples with a certain number of chiral families of SO (10), SU (5) or other subgroups, including just SU (3) × SU (2) × U (1). The number of families and mirror families is typically smaller than in standard Gepner models. Furthermore, in a large number of different cases, spectra with three chiral families can be obtained. Based on a first scan of about 10% of the lifted Gepner models we can construct, we have collected more than 10,000 distinct spectra with three families, including examples without mirror fermions. We present an example where the GUT group is completely broken to the standard model, but the resulting and inevitable fractionally charged particles are confined by an additional gauge group factor. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.