Weak Mixing Angle and Proton Stability in F-theory GUT
  It is pointed out that a class of flipped SU(5) models based on F-theory naturally explains the gauge coupling unification. It is because the group SU(5) x U(1)_X is embedded in SO(10) and E_8. To prohibit the dimension 4 and 5 proton decay processes, the structure group should be SU(3) or smaller. Extra heavy vector-like pairs of {5_{-2},5*_2} except only one pair of Higgs should be also disallowed, because they could induce the unwanted dimension 5 proton decays. We construct a simple global F-theory model considering these points. To maintain sin^2 theta_W^0 = 3/8 at the GUT scale, the fluxes are turned-on only on the flavor branes. 
Kang-Sin Choi and Bumseok Kyae
hep-th hep-ph