Canonical metrics on holomorphic Courant algebroids

Abstract

The solution of the Calabi Conjecture by Yau implies that every Kähler Calabi-Yau manifold $X$ admits a metric with holonomy contained in $\textrm{SU}(n)$, and that these metrics are parametrized by the positive cone in $H^{1,1}(X,\mathbb{R})$. In this work we give evidence of an extension of Yau's theorem to non-Kähler manifolds, where $X$ is replaced by a compact complex manifold with vanishing first Chern class endowed with a holomorphic Courant algebroid $Q$ of Bott-Chern type. The equations that define our notion of best metric correspond to a mild generalization of the Hull-Strominger system, whereas the role of $H^{1,1}(X,\mathbb{R})$ is played by an affine space of 'Aeppli classes' naturally associated to $Q$ via Bott-Chern secondary characteristic classes.