M-theory, orientifolds and G-flux

We study the properties of M and F theory compactifications to three and four dimensions with background fluxes. We provide a simple construction of supersymmetric vacua, including some with orientifold descriptions. These vacua, which have warp factors, typically have fewer moduli than conventional Calabi-Yau compactifications. The mechanism for anomaly cancellation in the orientifold models involves background RR and NS fluxes. We consider in detail an orientifold of K3 X T2 with background fluxes. After a combination of T and S-dualities, this type IIB orientifold is mapped to a compactification of the SO(32) heterotic string on a non-Kahler space with torsion. (author)