CHL Calabi–Yau threefolds: curve counting, Mathieu moonshine and Siegel modular forms

Abstract

A CHL model is the quotient of $\mathrm{K3} \times E$ by an order $N$ automorphism which acts symplectically on the K3 surface and acts by shifting by an $N$-torsion point on the elliptic curve $E$. We conjecture that the primitive Donaldson-Thomas partition function of elliptic CHL models is a Siegel modular form, namely the Borcherds lift of the corresponding twisted-twined elliptic genera which appear in Mathieu moonshine. The conjecture matches predictions of string theory by David, Jatkar and Sen. We use the topological vertex to prove several base cases of the conjecture. Via a degeneration to $\mathrm{K3} \times \mathbb{P}^1$ we also express the DT partition functions as a twisted trace of an operator on Fock space. This yields further computational evidence. An extension of the conjecture to non-geometric CHL models is discussed. We consider CHL models of order $N=2$ in detail. We conjecture a formula for the Donaldson-Thomas invariants of all order two CHL models in all curve classes. The conjecture is formulated in terms of two Siegel modular forms. One of them, a Siegel form for the Iwahori subgroup, has to our knowledge not yet appeared in physics. This discrepancy is discussed in an appendix with Sheldon Katz.