Spinor-Vector Duality and BSM Phenomenology

Abstract

Spinor-Vector Duality (SVD) has been observed in worldsheet constructions of heterotic-string compactifications. Recently, its realisation in the effective field theory limit of string vacua in six and five dimensions has been investigated. The SVD has been used to construct a string model that allows for an extra family universal U(1), with the standard E 6 embedding of its charges, to remain unbroken down to low scales. Anomaly cancellation of the extra U(1) charges mandates the existence of additional matter states at the extra U(1) breaking scale, which affects precision measurements of Standard Model parameters. I discuss the construction of non-supersymmetric sting vacua and "modular maps" akin to the spacetime supersymmetry map. Such "modular maps" provide a glimpse into the enormous symmetry structure underlying the entire space of perturbative string vacua that is yet to be uncovered.