Non-Abelian Gauge Symmetry and the Higgs Mechanism in F-theory

Understand

Singular fiber resolution does not describe the spontaneous breaking of gauge symmetry in F-theory, as the corresponding branch of the moduli space does not exist in the theory.

• Accordingly, even non-abelian gauge theories have not been fully understood in global F-theory compactifications.
• We present a systematic discussion of using singularity deformation, which does describe the spontaneous breaking of gauge symmetry in F-theory, to study non-abelian gauge symmetry.
• Since this branch of the moduli space also exists in the defining M-theory compactification, it provides the only known description of gauge theory states which exists in both pictures; they are string junctions in F-theory.