Dark energy, extra dimensions, and the Swampland

Abstract Perhaps the greatest challenge for fundamental theories based on compactification from extra dimensions is accommodating a period of accelerated cosmological expansion. Previous studies have identified constraints imposed by the existence of dark energy for two overlapping classes of compac...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gabriele Montefalcone, Paul J. Steinhardt, Daniel H. Wesley
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2020-06-01
Series:Journal of High Energy Physics
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP06(2020)091
Description
Summary:Abstract Perhaps the greatest challenge for fundamental theories based on compactification from extra dimensions is accommodating a period of accelerated cosmological expansion. Previous studies have identified constraints imposed by the existence of dark energy for two overlapping classes of compactified theories: (1) those in which the higher dimensional picture satisfies certain metric properties selected to reproduce known low energy phenomenology; or (2) those derived from string theory assuming they satisfy the Swampland conjectures. For either class, the analyses showed that dark energy is only possible if it takes the form of quintessence. In this paper, we explore the consequences for theories that belong to both classes and show that the joint constraints are highly restrictive, leaving few options.
ISSN:1029-8479