Implications of the weak gravity conjecture for de Sitter space decay by flux discharge

Kaloper, Nemanja; Westphal, Alexander

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.109.085002

Title: Implications of the weak gravity conjecture for de Sitter space decay by flux discharge

Journal Article · 01 April 2024 · Physical Review. D.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.109.085002 · OSTI ID:2332892

; Westphal, Alexander

We examine the implications of the weak gravity conjecture for the mechanisms for discharging cosmological constant via membrane nucleations. Once screening fluxes and membranes which source them enter, and weak gravity bounds are enforced, a generic de Sitter space must be unstable. We show that when all the flux terms which screen and discharge the cosmological constant are dominated by quadratic and higher order terms, the bounds from weak gravity conjecture and naturalness lead toward anthropic outcomes. In contrast, when the flux sectors are dominated by linear flux terms, anthropics may be avoided, and the cosmological constant may naturally decay toward smallest possible values. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

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Research Organization:: Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0009999

OSTI ID:: 2332892

Journal Information:: Physical Review. D., Journal Name: Physical Review. D. Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 109; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 2470-0010

Publisher:: American Physical SocietyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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