Non-Kahler string backgrounds and their five torsion classes

We discuss the mathematical properties of six-dimensional non-Kaler manifolds which occur in the context of N = 1 supersymmetric heterotic and type IIA string compactifications with non-vanishing background H-field. The intrinsic torsion of the associated SU(3) structures falls into five different classes. For heterotic compactifications we present an explicit dictionary between the supersymmetry conditions and these five torsion classes. We show that the non-Ricci-flat Iwasawa manifold solves the supersymmetry conditions with non-zero H-field, so that it is a consistent heterotic supersymmetric groundstate. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.