Generalised G2G_2-structures and type IIB superstrings

The recent mathematical literature introduces generalised geometries which are defined by a reduction from the structure group $SO(d,d)$ of the vector bundle $T^d\oplus T^{d*}$ to a special subgroup. In this article we show that compactification of IIB superstring vacua on 7-manifolds with two covariantly constant spinors leads to a generalised $G_2$-structure associated with a reduction from SO(7,7) to $G_2\times G_2$. We also consider compactifications on 6-manifolds where analogously we obtain a generalised SU(3)-structure associated with $SU(3)\times SU(3)$, and show how these relate to generalised $G_2$-structures.Comment: 14 pages, v2: Section 4 rewritten and references added, final version of the paper to appear in JHE

A heat flow for special metrics

On the space of positive 3-forms on a seven-manifold, we study a natural functional whose critical points induce metrics with holonomy contained in $G_2$. We prove short-time existence and uniqueness for its negative gradient flow. Furthermore, we show that the flow exists for all times and converges modulo diffeomorphisms to some critical point for any initial condition sufficiently $C^\infty$-close to a critical point.Comment: 35 pages, slightly revise

Special metric structures and closed forms

The primary aim of this thesis is to investigate metrics which are induced by a differential form and arise as a critical point of Hitchin's variational principle. Firstly, we investigate metrics associated with the structure group PSU(3) acting in its adjoint representation. We derive various obstructions to the existence of a topological reduction to PSU(3). For compact manifolds, we also find sufficient conditions if the PSU(3)-structure lifts to an SU(3)-structure. We give a Riemannian characterisation of topological PSU(3)-structures through an invariant spinor valued 1-form and show that the PSU(3)-structure is integrable if and only if the spinor valued 1-form defines a co-closed Rarita-Schwinger field. Moreover, we construct non-symmetric (compact) examples. Secondly, we consider even or odd forms which can be naturally interpreted as spinors for a spin structure on $T\oplus T^*$. As such, the forms we consider induce a reduction from $Spin(7,7)$ to $G_2\times G_2$. We give a topological classification of $G_2\times G_2$-structures. We prove that the condition for being a critical point is equivalent to the supersymmetry equations on spinors in supergravity theory of type IIA/B with NS-NS background fields. Examples are systematically constructed by the device of T-duality.Comment: examined DPhil Thesis, University of Oxford, 2004 v2: Proposition 3.5 and Theorem 3.6 fixe