Homogeneous vector bundles and families of Calabi-Yau threefolds (Q1813603)

Let \(Q\) be a nonsingular quadric in \(\mathbb{P}^ 9\). There are two systems of maximum isotropic spaces of \(Q\). Let \(X\) denote the variety of maximum isotropic spaces of one system. \(X\) is a smooth variety of dimension 10 isomorphic to \(SO(10,\mathbb{C})\), a maximum parabolic subgroup. It is embedded in \(\mathbb{P}_{15}\) by a spinorial representation. Let \(\pi\) denote a 9-plane in \(\mathbb{P}_{15}\), \(V_ \pi=X\cap\pi\), \(Z_ \pi=\) variety of lines in \(V_ \pi\). Main theorem: For a generic \(\pi\), \(V_ \pi\) and \(Z_ \pi\) are smooth, of dimensions 4 and 3, \(Z_ \pi\) is a simply connected Calabi-Yau threefold, i.e. a compact Kähler manifold with first Chern class zero (real coefficients). One has \(b_ 2(Z_ \pi)=12\), the Euler number \(e(Z_ \pi)=-6\) and number of moduli =15. The cone of effective curves on \(Z_ \pi\) is the convex hull of a finite number of extremal rays defined by classes of rational curves. These classes also generate \(H^ 4_ \mathbb{Z}(Z_ \pi)\). --- Using the interesting geometry of homogeneous spaces of \(SO(10,\mathbb{C})\) the author obtains \(\{Z_ \pi\}\) as the zero set of a section of a homogeneous vector bundle which is not totally decomposable. He in fact gets three more families of Calabi-Yau threefolds. They are not studied in detail. The family \(\{Z_ \pi\}\) is among the ``three-generation models'' which are of interest (in string theory) to physicists.