image-flux, chiral matter and singularity resolution in F-theory compactifications Original Research Article

We construct a set of chirality inducing image-fluxes in global F-theory compactifications on Calabi–Yau four-folds. Special emphasis is put on models with gauge group image relevant in the context of F-theory GUT model building, which are described in terms of a image-restricted Tate model. A image-flux arises in a manner completely analogous to the image gauge potential. We describe in detail the resolution by blow-up of the various singularities responsible for the image factor and the standard image gauge group and match the result with techniques applied in the context of toric geometry. This provides an explicit identification of the structure of the resolved fibre over the matter curves and over the enhancement points relevant for Yukawa couplings. We compute the flux-induced chiral index both of image charged matter and of image singlets charged only under image localised on curves which are not contained in the image locus. We furthermore discuss global consistency conditions such as D3-tadpole cancellation, D-term supersymmetry and Freed–Witten quantisation. The image gauge flux is a global extension of a class of split spectral cover bundles. It constitutes an essential ingredient in the construction of globally defined F-theory compactifications with chiral matter. We exemplify this in a three-generation image model whose flux satisfies all of the above global consistency conditions. We also extend our results to chiral fluxes in models without image restriction.