Eigenvalue equation for genus two modular graphs

Abstract

We obtain a second order differential equation on moduli space satisfied by certain modular graph functions at genus two, each of which has two links. This eigenvalue equation is obtained by analyzing the variations of these graphs under the variation of the Beltrami differentials. This equation involves seven distinct graphs, three of which appear in the integrand of the $D^8\mathcal{R}^4$ term in the low momentum expansion of the four graviton amplitude at genus two in type II string theory.