Contributor info: Dr Joseph McGovern

Philip Candelas, Xenia de la Ossa, Joseph McGovern

SciPost Phys. 18, 181 (2025) · published 6 June 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

We revisit the series solutions of the attractor equations of 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ supergravities obtained by Calabi–Yau compactifications previously studied in [P. Candelas et al., J. High Energy Phys. 11, 032 (2021)]. While only convergent for a restricted set of black hole charges, we find that they are summable with Padé resummation providing a suitable method. By specialising these solutions to rank-two attractors, we obtain many conjectural identities of the type discovered in [P. Candelas et al., J. High Energy Phys. 11, 032 (2021)]. These equate ratios of weight-four special L-values with an infinite series whose summands are formed out of genus-0 Gromov–Witten invariants. We also present two new rank-two attractors which belong to moduli spaces each interesting in their own right. Each of these moduli spaces possess two points of maximal unipotent monodromy. One has already been studied by Hosono and Takagi, and we discuss issues stemming from the associated L-function having nonzero rank.

Philip Candelas, Xenia de la Ossa, Pyry Kuusela, Joseph McGovern

SciPost Phys. 15, 146 (2023) · published 9 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

We find continuous families of supersymmetric flux vacua in IIB Calabi-Yau compactifications for multiparameter manifolds with an appropriate $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ symmetry. We argue, supported by extensive computational evidence, that the numerators of the local zeta functions of these compactification manifolds have quadratic factors. These factors are associated with weight-two modular forms, these manifolds being said to be weight-two modular. Our evidence supports the flux modularity conjecture of Kachru, Nally, and Yang. The modular forms are related to a continuous family of elliptic curves. The flux vacua can be lifted to F-theory on elliptically fibred Calabi-Yau fourfolds. If conjectural expressions for Deligne's periods are true, then these imply that the F-theory fibre is complex-isomorphic to the modular curve. In three examples, we compute the local zeta function of the internal geometry using an extension of known methods, which we discuss here and in more detail in a companion paper. With these techniques, we are able to compare the zeta function coefficients to modular form Fourier coefficients for hundreds of manifolds in three distinct families, finding agreement in all cases. Our techniques enable us to study not only parameters valued in $\mathbb{Q}$ but also in algebraic extensions of $\mathbb{Q}$, so exhibiting relations to Hilbert and Bianchi modular forms. We present in appendices the zeta function numerators of these manifolds, together with the corresponding modular forms.

Philip Candelas, Xenia de la Ossa, Pyry Kuusela, Joseph McGovern

SciPost Phys. 15, 144 (2023) · published 6 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

We study the mirrors of five-parameter Calabi-Yau threefolds first studied by Hulek and Verrill in the context of observed modular behaviour of the zeta functions for Calabi-Yau manifolds. Toric geometry allows for a simple explicit construction of these mirrors, which turn out to be familiar manifolds. These are elliptically fibred in multiple ways. By studying the singular fibres, we are able to identify the rational curves of low degree on the mirror manifolds. This verifies the mirror symmetry prediction obtained by studying the mirror map near large complex structure points. We undertake also an extensive study of the periods of the Hulek-Verrill manifolds and their monodromies. On the mirror, we compute the genus-zero and -one instanton numbers, which are labelled by 5 indices, as $h^{1,1}\!=5$. There is an obvious permutation symmetry on these indices, but in addition there is a surprising repetition of values. We trace this back to an $S_{6}$ symmetry made manifest by certain constructions of the complex structure moduli space of the Hulek-Verrill manifold. Among other consequences, we see in this way that the moduli space has six large complex structure limits. It is the freedom to expand the prepotential about any one of these points that leads to this symmetry in the instanton numbers. An intriguing fact is that the group that acts on the instanton numbers is larger than $S_6$ and is in fact an infinite hyperbolic Coxeter group, that we study. The group orbits have a "web" structure, and with certain qualifications the instanton numbers are only nonzero if they belong to what we term "positive webs". This structure has consequences for instanton numbers at all genera.