Transitive Courant algebroids, string structures and T-duality

Abstract

In this paper, we use reduction by extended actions to give a construction of transitive Courant algebroids from string classes. We prove that T-duality commutes with the reductions and thereby determine global conditions for the existence of T-duals in heterotic string theory. In particular we find that T-duality exchanges string structures and gives an isomorphism of transitive Courant algebroids. Consequently we derive the T-duality transformation for generalised metrics and show that the heterotic Einstein equations are preserved. The presence of string structures significantly extends the domain of applicability of T-duality and this is illustrated by several classes of examples.