The weak scale from weak gravity
Abstract
We explore the prospects for bounding the weak scale using the weak gravity conjecture (WGC), addressing the hierarchy problem by violating the expectations of effec- tive field theory. Building on earlier work by Cheung and Remmen, we construct models in which a super-extremal particle satisfying the electric WGC for a new Abelian gauge group obtains some of its mass from the Higgs, setting an upper bound on the weak scale as other UV-insensitive parameters are held fixed. Avoiding undue sensitivity of the weak scale to the parameters entering the bound implies that the super-extremal particle must lie at or below the weak scale. While the magnetic version of the conjecture implies additional physics entering around the same scale, we demonstrate that this need not correspond to a cutoff for the Higgs potential or otherwise trivialize the bound. We stress that linking the WGC to the weak scale necessarily involves new light particles coupled to the Higgs, implying a variety of experimentally accessible signatures including invisible Higgs decays and radiative corrections in the electroweak sector. These models also give rise to natural dark matter candidates, providing additional paths to discovery. In particular, collective effects in the dark matter plasma may providemore »
- Authors:
-
- Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States)
- Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Kavli Inst. for Theoretical Physics
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP); Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1602203
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1673186
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0011702; SC0014129; GBMF7392; PHY-1748958
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of High Energy Physics (Online)
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Journal of High Energy Physics (Online); Journal Volume: 2019; Journal Issue: 9; Journal ID: ISSN 1029-8479
- Publisher:
- Springer Berlin
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; Beyond Standard Model; Gauge Symmetry
Citation Formats
Craig, Nathaniel, Garcia Garcia, Isabel, and Koren, Seth. The weak scale from weak gravity. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1007/JHEP09(2019)081.
Craig, Nathaniel, Garcia Garcia, Isabel, & Koren, Seth. The weak scale from weak gravity. United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP09(2019)081
Craig, Nathaniel, Garcia Garcia, Isabel, and Koren, Seth. Wed .
"The weak scale from weak gravity". United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP09(2019)081. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1602203.
@article{osti_1602203,
title = {The weak scale from weak gravity},
author = {Craig, Nathaniel and Garcia Garcia, Isabel and Koren, Seth},
abstractNote = {We explore the prospects for bounding the weak scale using the weak gravity conjecture (WGC), addressing the hierarchy problem by violating the expectations of effec- tive field theory. Building on earlier work by Cheung and Remmen, we construct models in which a super-extremal particle satisfying the electric WGC for a new Abelian gauge group obtains some of its mass from the Higgs, setting an upper bound on the weak scale as other UV-insensitive parameters are held fixed. Avoiding undue sensitivity of the weak scale to the parameters entering the bound implies that the super-extremal particle must lie at or below the weak scale. While the magnetic version of the conjecture implies additional physics entering around the same scale, we demonstrate that this need not correspond to a cutoff for the Higgs potential or otherwise trivialize the bound. We stress that linking the WGC to the weak scale necessarily involves new light particles coupled to the Higgs, implying a variety of experimentally accessible signatures including invisible Higgs decays and radiative corrections in the electroweak sector. These models also give rise to natural dark matter candidates, providing additional paths to discovery. In particular, collective effects in the dark matter plasma may provide a telltale sign of the Abelian gauge group responsible for bounding the weak scale.},
doi = {10.1007/JHEP09(2019)081},
journal = {Journal of High Energy Physics (Online)},
number = 9,
volume = 2019,
place = {United States},
year = {2019},
month = {9}
}
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