Geography of fields in extra dimensions: String theory lessons for particle physics

Abstract

String theoretical ideas might be relevant for particle physics model building. Ideally one would hope to find a unified theory of all fundamental interactions. There are only a few consistent string theories in D = 10 or 11 spacetime dimensions, but a huge landscape in D = 4. We have to explore this landscape to identify models that describe the known phenomena of particle physics. Properties of compactified six spatial dimensions are crucial in that respect. We postulate some useful rules to investigate this landscape and construct realistic models. We identify common properties of the successful models and formulate lessons for further model building.