We classify the geometries of the most general warped, flux AdS backgrounds of heterotic supergravity up to two loop order in sigma model perturbation theory. We show under some mild assumptions that there are no $AdS_n$ backgrounds with $n ot=3$. Mo
reover the warp factor of AdS$_3$ backgrounds is constant, the geometry is a product $AdS_3times M^7$ and such solutions preserve, 2, 4, 6 and 8 supersymmetries. The geometry of $M^7$ has been specified in all cases. For 2 supersymmetries, it has been found that $M^7$ admits a suitably restricted $G_2$ structure. For 4 supersymmetries, $M^7$ has an $SU(3)$ structure and can be described locally as a circle fibration over a 6-dimensional KT manifold. For 6 and 8 supersymmetries, $M^7$ has an $SU(2)$ structure and can be described locally as a $S^3$ fibration over a 4-dimensional manifold which either has an anti-self dual Weyl tensor or a hyper-Kahler structure, respectively. We also demonstrate a new Lichnerowicz type theorem in the presence of $alpha$ corrections.
We identify the fractions of supersymmetry preserved by the most general warped flux AdS and flat backgrounds in both massive and standard IIA supergravities. We find that $AdS_ntimes_w M^{10-n}$ preserve $2^{[{nover2}]} k$ for $nleq 4$ and $2^{[{nov
er2}]+1} k$ for $4<nleq 7$ supersymmetries, $kin bN_{>0}$. In addition we show that, for suitably restricted fields and $M^{10-n}$, the killing spinors of AdS backgrounds are given in terms of the zero modes of Dirac like operators on $M^{10-n}$. This generalizes the Lichnerowicz theorem for connections whose holonomy is included in a general linear group. We also adapt our results to $bR^{1,n-1}times_w M^{10-n}$ backgrounds which underpin flux compactifications to $bR^{1,n-1}$ and show that these preserve $2^{[{nover2}]} k$ for $2<nleq 4$, $2^{[{n+1over2}]} k$ for $4<nleq 8$, and $2^{[{nover2}]} k$ for $n=9, 10$ supersymmetries.
Kundt spacetimes are of great importance in general relativity in 4 dimensions and have a number of topical applications in higher dimensions in the context of string theory. The degenerate Kundt spacetimes have many special and unique mathematical p
roperties, including their invariant curvature structure and their holonomy structure. We provide a rigorous geometrical kinematical definition of the general Kundt spacetime in 4 dimensions; essentially a Kundt spacetime is defined as one admitting a null vector that is geodesic, expansion-free, shear-free and twist-free. A Kundt spacetime is said to be degenerate if the preferred kinematic and curvature null frames are all aligned. The degenerate Kundt spacetimes are the only spacetimes in 4 dimensions that are not $mathcal{I}$-non-degenerate, so that they are not determined by their scalar polynomial curvature invariants. We first discuss the non-aligned Kundt spacetimes, and then turn our attention to the degenerate Kundt spacetimes. The degenerate Kundt spacetimes are classified algebraically by the Riemann tensor and its covariant derivatives in the aligned kinematic frame; as an example, we classify Riemann type D degenerate Kundt spacetimes in which $ abla(Riem), abla^{(2)}(Riem)$ are also of type D. We discuss other local characteristics of the degenerate Kundt spacetimes. Finally, we discuss degenerate Kundt spacetimes in higher dimensions.
