Sharpening the Distance Conjecture in Diverse Dimensions

by Tom Rudelius

Tuesday 4 Oct 2022, 16:30 → 18:00 Europe/Zurich

zoom only (CERN)

The Distance Conjecture holds that any infinite-distance limit in the scalar field moduli space of a consistent theory of quantum gravity must be accompanied by a tower of light particles whose masses scale exponentially with proper field distance $||\phi||$ as $m \sim \exp(- \lambda ||\phi||)$, where $\lambda$ is order-one in Planck units. While the evidence for this conjecture is formidable, there is at present no consensus on which values of $\lambda$ are allowed. In this talk, I will propose a sharp lower bound on $\lambda$ in $d$ spacetime dimensions: $\lambda \geq 1/\sqrt{d-2}$. I will provide several lines of evidence for this bound and discuss its implications for scalar field potentials and cosmology.