Abstract
We study the cosmological constant problem in a three-dimensional N = 2 supergravity theory with gauge group SU(2) global × U(1) local. The model we consider is known to admit string-like configurations, the so-called semi-local cosmic strings. We show that the stability of these solitonic solutions is provided by supersymmetry through the existence of a lower bound for the energy, even though the manifold of the Higgs vacuum does not contain non-contractible loops. Charged Killing spinors do exist over configurations that saturate the Bogomol'nyi bound, as a consequence of an Aharonov-Bohmlike effect. Nevertheless, there are no physical fermionic zero modes on these backgrounds. The exact vanishing of the cosmological constant does not imply, then, Bose-Fermi degeneracy. This provides a non-trivial example of the recent claim made by Witten on the vanishing of the cosmological constant in three dimensions without unphysical degeneracies.
Highlights
The cosmological constant problem has longly survived the attempts made by physicists to distangle it
We show that the stability of these solitonic solutions is provided by supersymmetry through the existence of a lower bound for the energy, even though the manifold of the Higgs vacuum does not contain non-contractible loops
In the present letter we would like to address the would-be supersymmetric nature of semi-local cosmic strings coupled to gravity, and its relation with the cosmological constant problem
Summary
The cosmological constant problem has longly survived the attempts made by physicists to distangle it. Abstract We study the cosmological constant problem in a three-dimensional N = 2 supergravity theory with gauge group SU (2)global × U (1)local. We show that the stability of these solitonic solutions is provided by supersymmetry through the existence of a lower bound for the energy, even though the manifold of the Higgs vacuum does not contain non-contractible loops.
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