Four-dimensional Effective Field Theory Research Articles

The cosmological constant is probably still zero

We consider a wide class of four-dimensional effective field theories in which gravity is coupled to multiple four-forms and their dual scalar fields, with membrane sources charged under the corresponding three-form potentials. Four-form flux, quantised in units of the membrane charges, generically generates a landscape of vacua with a range of values for the cosmological constant that is scanned through membrane nucleation. We list various ways in which the landscape can be made sufficiently dense to be compatible with observations of the current vacuum without running into the empty universe problem. Further, we establish the general criteria required to ensure the absolute stability of the Minkowski vacuum under membrane nucleation and the longevity of those vacua that are parametrically close by. This selects the current vacuum on probabilistic grounds and can even be applied in the classic model of Bousso and Polchinski, albeit with some mild violation of the membrane weak gravity conjecture. We present other models where the membrane weak gravity conjecture is not violated but where the same probabilistic methods can be used to tackle the cosmological constant problem.

Causality constraints on corrections to Einstein gravity

We study constraints from causality and unitarity on 2 → 2 graviton scattering in four-dimensional weakly-coupled effective field theories. Together, causality and unitarity imply dispersion relations that connect low-energy observables to high-energy data. Using such dispersion relations, we derive two-sided bounds on gravitational Wilson coefficients in terms of the mass M of new higher-spin states. Our bounds imply that gravitational interactions must shut off uniformly in the limit G → 0, and prove the scaling with M expected from dimensional analysis (up to an infrared logarithm). We speculate that causality, together with the non-observation of gravitationally-coupled higher spin states at colliders, severely restricts modifications to Einstein gravity that could be probed by experiments in the near future.

Tameness, Strings, and the Distance Conjecture

The Distance Conjecture states that an infinite tower of modes becomes exponentially light when approaching an infinite distance point in field space. We argue that the inherent path-dependence of this statement can be addressed when combining the Distance Conjecture with the recent Tameness Conjecture. The latter asserts that effective theories are described by tame geometry and implements strong finiteness constraints on coupling functions and field spaces. By exploiting these tameness constraints we argue that the region near the infinite distance point admits a decomposition into finitely many sectors in which path-independent statements for the associated towers of states can be established. We then introduce a more constrained class of tame functions with at most polynomial asymptotic growth and argue that they suffice to describe the known string theory effective actions. Remarkably, the multi-field dependence of such functions can be reconstructed by one-dimensional linear test paths in each sector near the boundary. In four-dimensional effective theories, these test paths are traced out as a discrete set of cosmic string solutions. This indicates that such cosmic string solutions can serve as powerful tool to study the near-boundary field space region of any four-dimensional effective field theory. To illustrate these general observations we discuss the central role of tameness and cosmic string solutions in Calabi-Yau compactifications of Type IIB string theory.

A new de Sitter solution with a weakly warped deformed conifold

We revisit moduli stabilisation for type IIB flux compactifications that include a warped throat region corresponding to a warped deformed conifold, with an anti-D3-brane sitting at its tip. The warping induces a coupling between the conifold’s deformation modulus and the bulk volume modulus in the Kähler potential. Previous works have studied the scalar potential assuming a strong warping such that this coupling term dominates, and found that the anti-D3-brane uplift may destabilise the conifold modulus and/or volume modulus, unless flux numbers within the throat are large, which makes tadpole cancellation a challenge. We explore the regime of parameter space corresponding to a weakly-but-still warped throat, such that the coupling between the conifold and volume moduli is subdominant. We thus discover a new metastable de Sitter solution within the four-dimensional effective field theory. We discuss the position of this de Sitter vacuum in the string theory landscape and swampland.

Catastrophic production of slow gravitinos

We study gravitational particle production of the massive spin-$3/2$ Rarita-Schwinger field, and its close relative, the gravitino, in Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmological spacetimes. For masses lighter than the value of the Hubble expansion rate after inflation, ${m}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\lesssim}H$, we find catastrophic gravitational particle production, wherein the number of gravitationally produced particles is divergent, caused by a transient vanishing of the helicity-$1/2$ gravitino sound speed. In contrast with the conventional gravitino problem, the spectrum of produced particles is dominated by those with momentum at the UV cutoff. This suggests a breakdown of effective field theory, which might be cured by new degrees of freedom that emerge in the UV. We study the UV completion of the Rarita-Schwinger field, namely $\mathcal{N}=1$, $d=4$, supergravity. We reproduce known results for models with a single superfield and models with an arbitrary number of chiral superfields, find a simple geometric expression for the sound speed in the latter case, and extend this to include nilpotent constrained superfields and orthogonal constrained superfields. We find supergravity models where the catastrophe is cured and models where it persists. Insofar as quantizing the gravitino is tantamount to quantizing gravity, as is the case in any UV completion of supergravity, the models exhibiting catastrophic production are prime examples of four-dimensional effective field theories that become inconsistent when gravity is quantized, suggesting a possible link to the swampland program. We propose the gravitino swampland conjecture, which is consistent with and indeed follows from the Kachru-Kallosh-Linde-Trivedi and large volume scenarios for moduli stabilization in string theory.

Weak cosmic censorship in Kerr-Sen black hole under charged scalar field

We investigate the weak cosmic censorship conjecture for Kerr-Sen black holes, which are solutions to the four-dimensional low-energy effective field theory for the heterotic string theory, based on the scattering of a charged scalar field. When the fluxes of the scalar field are assumed to transfer its conserved quantities to the black hole, extremal and near-extremal black holes cannot be over-spun and over-charged in their first-order variations, which is sufficient to conclude that the weak cosmic censorship conjecture is valid for Kerr-Sen black holes. We confirm our conclusion by relating it to the first, second, and third laws of thermodynamics.

Massless bosons on domain walls: Jackiw-Rebbi-like mechanism for bosonic fields

It is important to obtain (nearly) massless localized modes for the low-energy four-dimensional effective field theory in the brane-world scenario. We propose a mechanism for bosonic zero modes using the field-dependent kinetic function in the classical field theory set-up. As a particularly simple case, we consider a domain wall in five dimensions, and show that massless states for scalar (0-form), vector (1-form), and tensor (2-form) fields appear on a domain wall, which may be called topological because of robustness of their existence (insensitive to continuous deformations of parameters). The spin of localized massless bosons is selected by the shape of the nonlinear kinetic function, analogously to the chirality selection of fermion by the well-known Jackiw-Rebbi mechanism. Several explicitly solvable examples are given. We consider not only (anti)BPS domain walls in non-compact extra dimension but also non-BPS domain walls in compact extra dimension.

Modular symmetry anomaly in magnetic flux compactification

We study modular symmetry anomalies in four-dimensional low-energy effective field theory, which is derived from six-dimensional supersymmetric $U(N)$ Yang-Mills theory by magnetic flux compactification. The gauge symmetry $U(N)$ is broken to $U(N_a) \times U(N_b)$ by magnetic fluxes. It is found that Abelian subgroup of the modular symmetry corresponding to discrete part of $U(1)$ can be anomalous, but other elements independent of $U(1)$ in the modular symmetry are always anomaly-free.

An algebraic classification of exceptional EFTs

We classify four-dimensional effective field theories (EFTs) with enhanced soft limits, which arise due to non-linearly realised symmetries on the Goldstone modes of such theories. We present an algorithm for deriving all possible algebras that can be non-linearly realised on a set of Goldstone modes with canonical propagators, linearly realised Poincaré symmetries and interactions at weak coupling. An important ingredient in our analysis is inverse Higgs trees which systematically incorporate the requirements for the existence of inverse Higgs constraints. These are the algebraic cousin of the on-shell soft data one provides for soft bootstrapping EFTs. We perform full classifications for single scalar and multiple spin-1/2 fermion EFTs and present a thorough analysis for multiple scalars. In each case there are only a small number of algebras consistent with field-dependent transformation rules, leading to the class of exceptional EFTs including the scalar sector of Dirac-Born-Infeld, Special Galileon and Volkov-Akulov theories. We also discuss the coupling of a U(1) gauge vector to the exceptional scalar theories, showing that there is a Special Galileon version of the full Dirac-Born-Infeld theory. This paper is part I in a series of two papers, with the second providing an algebraic classification of supersymmetric theories with non-linearly realised symmetries.

Zero-mode product expansions and higher-order couplings in gauge backgrounds

We study a four-dimensional low-energy effective field theory derived from extra dimensional field theories with general gauge backgrounds. We find that products among fermionic zero-modes and lightest scalar modes are expanded by other fermionic zero-modes and lightest scalar modes. Using this aspect, we show that higher-order couplings among the fermionic zero-modes and the lightest scalar mode can be decomposed into three-point couplings. This selection rule originating from a structure of the Dirac-type operators indicates the operator product expansion the underlying conformal field theory.

Modular symmetry in magnetized/intersecting D-brane models

We study the modular symmetry in four-dimensional low-energy effective field theory, which is derived from type IIB magnetized D-brane models and type IIA intersecting D-brane models. We analyze modular symmetric behaviors of perturbative terms and non-perturbative terms induced by D-brane instanton effects. Anomalies are also investigated and such an analysis on anomalies suggests corrections in effective field theory.

Prospects for primordial gravitational waves in string inflation

Assuming that the early universe had (i) a description using perturbative string theory and its field theory limit, (ii) an epoch of slow-roll inflation within a four-dimensional effective field theory and a hierarchy of scales [Formula: see text] that keeps the latter under control, we derive an upper bound on the amplitude of primordial gravitational waves. The bound is very sensitive to mild changes in numerical coefficients and the expansion parameters. For example, allowing couplings and mass-squared hierarchies [Formula: see text] implies [Formula: see text], but asking more safely for hierarchies [Formula: see text], the bound becomes [Formula: see text]. Moreover, large volumes — typically used in string models to keep backreaction and moduli stabilization under control — drive [Formula: see text] down. Consequently, any detection of inflationary gravitational waves would present an interesting but difficult challenge for string theory.

Holographic effective field theories

We derive the four-dimensional low-energy effective field theory governing the moduli space of strongly coupled superconformal quiver gauge theories associated with D3-branes at Calabi-Yau conical singularities in the holographic regime of validity. We use the dual supergravity description provided by warped resolved conical geometries with mobile D3-branes. Information on the baryonic directions of the moduli space is also obtained by using wrapped Euclidean D3-branes. We illustrate our general results by discussing in detail their application to the Klebanov-Witten model.

Calabi-Yau compactifications of non-supersymmetric heterotic string theory

Phenomenological explorations of heterotic strings have conventionally focused primarily on the E8×E8 theory. We consider smooth compactifications of all three ten-dimensional heterotic theories to exhibit the many similarities between the non-supersymmetric SO(16)×SO(16) theory and the related supersymmetric E8×E8 and SO(32) theories. In particular, we exploit these similarities to determine the bosonic and fermionic spectra of Calabi-Yau compactifications with line bundles of the non-supersymmetric string. We use elements of four-dimensional supersymmetric effective field theory to characterize the non-supersymmetric action at leading order and determine the Green-Schwarz induced axion couplings. Using these methods we construct a non-supersymmetric Standard Model(SM)-like theory. In addition, we show that it is possible to obtain SM-like models from the standard embedding using at least an order four Wilson line. Finally, we make a proposal of the states that live on five-branes in the SO(16)×SO(16) theory and find under certain assumptions the surprising result that anomaly factorization only admits at most a single brane solution.

Black branes in flux compactifications

AbstractWe construct charged black branes in type IIA flux compactifications that are dual to (2 + 1)-dimensional field theories at finite density. The internal space is a general Calabi-Yau manifold with fluxes, with internal dimensions much smaller than the AdS radius. Gauge fields descend from the 3-form RR potential evaluated on harmonic forms of the Calabi-Yau, and Kaluza-Klein modes decouple. Black branes are described by a four-dimensional effective field theory that includes only a few light fields and is valid over a parametrically large range of scales. This effective theory determines the low energy dynamics, stability and thermodynamic properties. Tools from flux compactifications are also used to construct holographic CFTs with no relevant scalar operators, that can lead to symmetric phases of condensed matter systems stable to very low temperatures. The general formalism is illustrated with simple examples such as toroidal compactifications and manifolds with a single size modulus. We initiate the classification of holographic phases of matter described by flux compactifications, which include generalized Reissner-Nordstrom branes, nonsupersymmetric$ Ad{S_2}\times {{\mathbb{R}}^2} $and hyperscaling violating solutions.

Spontaneous gauge symmetry breaking in a non-supersymmetric D-brane model

We investigate a D-brane system in which spontaneous gauge symmetry breaking occurs. The system consists of four D3-branes and three anti-D7-branes at C3/Z3 singularity. The singularity is blown up by vacuum expectation values of the states of twisted closed string, whose effects appear as Fayet–Iliopoulos terms in low-energy effective field theory. We derive an effective potential for scalar fields in four-dimensional effective field theory using the technique of superstring world-sheet theory. Since there is no supersymmetry in this system, one-loop masses for some scalar fields are considered. We find some stationary and stable vacua in which the original U(2)×U(1)1×U(1)2×U(3) gauge symmetry is spontaneously broken to U(1)×U(1)′×U(3) gauge symmetry. Both Fayet–Iliopoulos terms and one-loop masses are necessary for the existence of such vacua. We carefully investigate a geometrical aspect of the gauge symmetry breaking. We show that the gauge symmetry breaking is understood as the separation of D3-branes. Some implications to the possibility of low-scale string models are also discussed.

Z4flavor model in Randall-Sundrum model 1

Randall-Sundrum models provide a possible explanation of (gauge-gravity) hierarchy, whereas discrete symmetry flavor groups yield a possible description of the texture of Standard Model (SM) fermion masses. We use both these ingredients to propose a five-dimensional extension of the Standard Model where the mass hierarchy of the four-dimensional effective field theory is obtained only using localization parameters of order 1. We consider a bulk custodial gauge symmetry group together with an Abelian ${Z}_{4}$ group: the model turns out to yield a rather minimal extension of the SM as it only requires two brane Higgs fields to provide the desired Yukawa interactions and the required spontaneous symmetry breaking pattern. In fact, the presence of an extra dimension allows the use of the Scherk-Schwarz mechanism to contribute to the breaking of the bulk custodial group down to the SM gauge symmetry. Moreover, no right-handed neutrinos are present and neutrino masses are generated radiatively with the help of a bulk charged scalar field that provides the lepton number violation. Using experimental inputs from the Global Neutrino Analysis and recent Daya Bay results, a numerical analysis is performed and allowed parameter regions are displayed.

Galileons on cosmological backgrounds

We construct four-dimensional effective field theories of a generalized DBI galileon field, the dynamics of which naturally takeplace on a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker spacetime. The theories are invariantunder non-linear symmetry transformations, which can be thought of as being inherited from five-dimensional bulk Killing symmetries via theprobe brane technique through which they are constructed. The resulting model provides a framework in which to explore the cosmological role that galileons may play as the universe evolves.

Generalizing Galileons

The Galileons are a set of terms within four-dimensional effective field theories, obeying symmetries that can be derived from the dynamics of a (3 + 1)-dimensional flat brane embedded in a 5-dimensional Minkowski bulk. These theories have some intriguing properties, including freedom from ghosts and a non-renormalization theorem that hints at possible applications in both particle physics and cosmology. In this brief paper, we will summarize our attempts over the last year to extend the Galileon idea in two important ways. We will discuss the effective field theory construction arising from flat branes, of co-dimension greater than 1, embedded in a flat background—the multi-Galileons—and we will then describe symmetric covariant versions of the Galileons, more suitable for general cosmological applications. While all these Galileons can be thought of as interesting four-dimensional field theories in their own rights, the work described here may also make it easier to embed them into string theory, with its multiple extra dimensions and more general gravitational backgrounds.

Some adventures in the search for a modified gravity explanation of cosmic acceleration

The discovery of cosmic acceleration has raised the intriguing possibility that we are witnessing the first breakdown of General Relativity on cosmological scales. In this article I will briefly review current attempts to construct a theoretically consistent and observationally viable modification of gravity that is capable of describing the accelerating universe. I will discuss f(R) models, and their obvious extensions, and the DGP model as an example of extra-dimensional implementations. I will then briefly describe the Galileon models and their very recent multifield and curved space extensions - a class of four-dimensional effective field theories encoding extra dimensional modifications to gravity. This article is dedicated to the career of my friend and former colleague, Joshua Goldberg, and is written to appear in his festschrift.