Nongeometric heterotic strings and dual F-theory with enhanced gauge groups

Eight-dimensional nongeometric heterotic strings were constructed as duals of F-theory on $\Lambda^{1,1}\oplus E_8\oplus E_7$ lattice polarized K3 surfaces by Malmendier and Morrison. We study the structure of the moduli space of this construction. There are special points in this space at which the ranks of the non-Abelian gauge groups on the 7-branes in F-theory are enhanced to 18. We demonstrate that the enhanced rank-18 non-Abelian gauge groups arise as a consequence of the coincident 7-branes, which deform stable degenerations on the F-theory side. This observation suggests that the non-geometric heterotic strings include nonperturbative effects of the coincident 7-branes on the F-theory side. The gauge groups that arise at these special points in the moduli space do not allow for perturbative descriptions on the heterotic side. We also construct a family of elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau 3-folds by fibering K3 surfaces with enhanced singularities over $\mathbb{P}^1$. Highly enhanced gauge groups arise in F-theory compactifications on the resulting Calabi-Yau 3-folds.