The moduli space of the maximally supersymmetric heterotic string in [Formula: see text]-dimensional Minkowski space contains various components characterized by the rank of the gauge symmetries of the vacua they parametrize. We develop an approach for describing in a unified way continuous Wilson lines which parametrize a component of the moduli space, together with discrete deformations responsible for the switch from one component to the other. Applied to a component that contains vacua with [Formula: see text] gauge-symmetry factors, our approach yields a description of all backgrounds of the component in terms of free-orbifold models. The orbifold generators turn out to act symmetrically or asymmetrically on the internal space, with or without discrete torsion. Our derivations use extensively affine characters of [Formula: see text]. As a by-product, we find a peculiar orbifold description of the heterotic string in 10 dimensions, where all gauge degrees of freedom arise as twisted states, while the untwisted sector reduces to the gravitational degrees of freedom.

中文翻译：

---

杂环，降阶和 SO(2n + 1) 个字符

[公式：见文本]维 Minkowski 空间中的最大超对称杂质弦的模空间包含各种分量，这些分量以它们参数化的真空的规范对称的等级为特征。我们开发了一种方法，用于以统一的方式描述连续的威尔逊线，它参数化模空间的一个组件，以及负责从一个组件切换到另一个组件的离散变形。应用于包含具有 [公式：参见文本] 规范对称因子的 vacua 的组件，我们的方法根据自由轨道模型生成对组件所有背景的描述。orbifold 发电机在内部空间上对称或不对称地作用，有或没有离散扭转。我们的推导广泛使用 [公式：见正文] 的仿射字符。