Moduli axions, stabilizing moduli, and the large field swampland conjecture in heterotic M-theory

Journal Article · Thu Jun 06 00:00:00 EDT 2024 · Physical Review. D.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.109.126004· OSTI ID:2371047

Deffayet, Cédric ^[1]; Ovrut, Burt A. ^[2]; Steinhardt, Paul J. ^[3]

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1. Sorbonne Universite, Paris (France)
2. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (United States)
3. Princeton University, NJ (United States); Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (United States)

We compute the F- and D-term potential energy for the dilaton, complex structure, and Kähler moduli of realistic vacua of heterotic M-theory compactified on Calabi-Yau threefolds where, for simplicity, we choose ℎ^1,1 = ℎ^2,1 = 1. However, the formalism is immediately applicable to the “universal” moduli of Calabi-Yau threefolds with ℎ^1,1 = ℎ^1,2 > 1 as well. The F-term potential is computed using the nonperturbative complex structure, gaugino condensate and “world sheet instanton” superpotentials in theories in which the hidden sector contains an anomalous U⁡(1) structure group. The Green-Schwarz anomaly cancellation induces inhomogeneous “axion” transformations for the imaginary components of the dilaton and Kähler modulus—which then produce a D-term potential. V_D is a function of the real components of the dilaton and Kähler modulus (s and t) that is minimized and precisely vanishes along a unique line in the s–t plane. Excitations transverse to this line have a mass m_anom which is an explicit function of t. The F-term potential energy is then evaluated along the V_D = 0 line. For values of t small enough that m_anom ≳ M_U—where M_U is the compactification scale—we plot V_F for a realistic choice of coefficients as a function of the Pfaffian parameter p. We find values of p for which V_F has a global minimum at negative or zero vacuum density or a metastable minimum with positive vacuum density. In all three cases, the s, t, and associated “axion” moduli are completely stabilized. Finally, we show that, for any of these vacua, the large t behavior of the potential energy satisfies the “large scalar field” Swampland conjecture.

• Research Organization: Princeton University, NJ (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: Simons Foundation; USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: FG02-91ER40671; SC0007901; SC0007968
• OSTI ID: 2371047
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 2484170
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D., Journal Name: Physical Review. D. Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 109; ISSN 2470-0010
• Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
Axions
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