arXiv subjects

F. Quevedo

Publications and source records attributed to F. Quevedo.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

Continuous Global Symmetries and Hyperweak Interactions in String Compactifications

We revisit general arguments for the absence of exact continuous global symmetries in string compactifications and extend them to D-brane models. We elucidate the various ways approximate continuous global symmetries arise in the 4-dimensional effective action. In addition to two familiar methods - axionic Peccei-Quinn symmetries and remnant global abelian symmetries from Green-Schwarz gauge symmetry breaking - we identify new ways to generate approximate continuous global symmetries. Two methods stand out, both of which occur for local brane constructions within the LARGE volume scenario of moduli stabilisation. The first is the generic existence of continuous non-abelian global symmetries associated with local Calabi-Yau isometries. These symmetries are exact in the non-compact limit and are spontaneously broken by the LARGE volume, with breaking effects having phenomenologically interesting sizes \sim 0.01 for plausible choices for underlying parameters. Such approximate flavour symmetries are phenomenologically attractive and may allow the fermion mass hierarchies to be connected to the electroweak hierarchy via the large volume. The second is the possible existence of new hyper-weak gauge interactions under which Standard Model matter is charged, with α_{HW} \sim 10^{-9}. Such groups arise from branes wrapping bulk cycles and intersecting the local (resolved) singularity on which the Standard Model is supported. We discuss experimental bounds for these new gauge bosons and their interactions with the Standard Model particles.

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arXiv2008

Warped Supersymmetry Breaking

We address the size of supersymmetry-breaking effects within higher-dimensional settings where the observable sector resides deep within a strongly warped region, with supersymmetry breaking not necessarily localized in that region. Our particular interest is in how the supersymmetry-breaking scale seen by the observable sector depends on this warping. We obtain this dependence in two ways: by computing within the microscopic (string) theory supersymmetry-breaking masses in supermultiplets; and by investigating how warping gets encoded into masses within the low-energy 4D effective theory. We find that the lightest gravitino mode can have mass much less than the straightforward estimate from the mass shift of the unwarped zero mode. This lightest Kaluza-Klein excitation plays the role of the supersymmetric partner of the graviton and has a warped mass m_{3/2} proportional to e^A, with e^A the warp factor, and controls the size of the soft SUSY breaking terms. We formulate the conditions required for the existence of a description in terms of a 4D SUGRA formulation, or in terms of 4D SUGRA together with soft-breaking terms, and describe in particular situations where neither exist for some non-supersymmetric compactifications. We suggest that some effects of warping are captured by a linear $A$ dependence in the Kahler potential. We outline some implications of our results for the KKLT scenario of moduli stabilization with broken SUSY.

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arXiv2007

Sparticle Spectra and LHC Signatures for Large Volume String Compactifications

We study the supersymmetric particle spectra and LHC collider observables for the large-volume string models with a fundamental scale of 10^{11} GeV that arise in moduli-fixed string compactifications with branes and fluxes. The presence of magnetic fluxes on the brane world volume, required for chirality, perturb the soft terms away from those previously computed in the dilute-flux limit. We use the difference in high-scale gauge couplings to estimate the magnitude of this perturbation and study the potential effects of the magnetic fluxes by generating many random spectra with the soft terms perturbed around the dilute flux limit. Even with a 40% variation in the high-scale soft terms the low-energy spectra take a clear and predictive form. The resulting spectra are broadly similar to those arising on the SPS1a slope, but more degenerate. In their minimal version the models predict the ratios of gaugino masses to be M_1 : M_2 : M_3=(1.5 - 2) : 2 : 6, different to both mSUGRA and mirage mediation. Among the scalars, the squarks tend to be lighter and the sleptons heavier than for comparable mSUGRA models. We generate 10 fb^{-1} of sample LHC data for the random spectra in order to study the range of collider phenomenology that can occur. We perform a detailed mass reconstruction on one example large-volume string model spectrum. 100 fb^{-1} of integrated luminosity is sufficient to discriminate the model from mSUGRA and aspects of the sparticle spectrum can be accurately reconstructed.

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arXiv2007

Moduli Stabilisation and de Sitter String Vacua from Magnetised D7 Branes

Anomalous U(1)'s are ubiquitous in 4D chiral string models. Their presence crucially affects the process of moduli stabilisation and cannot be neglected in realistic set-ups. Their net effect in the 4D effective action is to induce a matter field dependence in the non-perturbative superpotential and a Fayet-Iliopoulos D-term. We study flux compactifications of IIB string theory in the presence of magnetised D7 branes. These give rise to anomalous U(1)'s that modify the standard moduli stabilisation procedure. We consider simple orientifold models to determine the matter field spectrum and the form of the effective field theory. We apply our results to one-modulus KKLT and multi-moduli large volume scenarios, in particular to the Calabi-Yau P^4_{[1,1,1,6,9]}. After stabilising the matter fields, the effective action for the Kahler moduli can acquire an extra positive term that can be used for de Sitter lifting with non-vanishing F- and D-terms. This provides an explicit realization of the D-term lifting proposal of hep-th/0309187.

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arXiv2006

Nonrenormalization of Flux Superpotentials in String Theory

Recent progress in understanding modulus stabilization in string theory relies on the existence of a non-renormalization theorem for the 4D compactifications of Type IIB supergravity which preserve N=1 supersymmetry. We provide a simple proof of this non-renormalization theorem for a broad class of Type IIB vacua using the known symmetries of these compactifications, thereby putting them on a similar footing as the better-known non-renormalization theorems of heterotic vacua without fluxes. The explicit dependence of the tree-level flux superpotential on the dilaton field makes the proof more subtle than in the absence of fluxes.

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arXiv2006

Inflating in a Better Racetrack

We present a new version of our racetrack inflation scenario which, unlike our original proposal, is based on an explicit compactification of type IIB string theory: the Calabi-Yau manifold P^4_[1,1,1,6,9]. The axion-dilaton and all complex structure moduli are stabilized by fluxes. The remaining 2 Kahler moduli are stabilized by a nonperturbative superpotential, which has been explicitly computed. For this model we identify situations for which a linear combination of the axionic parts of the two Kahler moduli acts as an inflaton. As in our previous scenario, inflation begins at a saddle point of the scalar potential and proceeds as an eternal topological inflation. For a certain range of inflationary parameters, we obtain the COBE-normalized spectrum of metric perturbations and an inflationary scale of M = 3 x 10^{14} GeV. We discuss possible changes of parameters of our model and argue that anthropic considerations favor those parameters that lead to a nearly flat spectrum of inflationary perturbations, which in our case is characterized by the spectral index n_s = 0.95.

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arXiv2005

Supersymmetry Parameter Analysis: SPA Convention and Project

High-precision analyses of supersymmetry parameters aim at reconstructing the fundamental supersymmetric theory and its breaking mechanism. A well defined theoretical framework is needed when higher-order corrections are included. We propose such a scheme, Supersymmetry Parameter Analysis SPA, based on a consistent set of conventions and input parameters. A repository for computer programs is provided which connect parameters in different schemes and relate the Lagrangian parameters to physical observables at LHC and high energy e+e- linear collider experiments, i.e., masses, mixings, decay widths and production cross sections for supersymmetric particles. In addition, programs for calculating high-precision low energy observables, the density of cold dark matter (CDM) in the universe as well as the cross sections for CDM search experiments are included. The SPA scheme still requires extended efforts on both the theoretical and experimental side before data can be evaluated in the future at the level of the desired precision. We take here an initial step of testing the SPA scheme by applying the techniques involved to a specific supersymmetry reference point.

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arXiv2005

Casimir Energies for 6D Supergravities Compactified on T_2/Z_N with Wilson Lines

We compute (as functions of the shape and Wilson-line moduli) the one-loop Casimir energy induced by higher-dimensional supergravities compactified from 6D to 4D on 2-tori, and on some of their Z_N orbifolds. Detailed calculations are given for a 6D scalar field having an arbitrary 6D mass m, and we show how to extend these results to higher-spin fields for supersymmetric 6D theories. Particular attention is paid to regularization issues and to the identification of the divergences of the potential, as well as the dependence of the result on m, including limits for which m^2 A<< 1 and m^2 A>> 1 where A is the volume of the internal 2 dimensions. Our calculation extends those in the literature to very general boundary conditions for fields about the various cycles of these geometries. The results have potential applications towards Supersymmetric Large Extra Dimensions (SLED) as a theory of the Dark Energy. First, they provide an explicit calculation within which to follow the dependence of the result on the mass of the bulk states which travel within the loop, and for heavy masses these results bear out the more general analysis of the UV-sensitivity obtained using heat-kernel methods. Second, because the potentials we find describe the dynamics of the classical flat directions of these compactifications, within SLED they would describe the present-day dynamics of the Dark Energy.

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arXiv2004

MSLED: A Minimal Supersymmetric Large Extra Dimensions Scenario

We propose a framework for the low-energy realization of supersymmetry which is very predictive, but differs radically in its phenomenological implications from the supersymmetric Standard Model (minimal or otherwise). The proposal consists of a supersymmetric version of the Large-Extra-Dimensions scenario, with the Standard Model living on a 3-brane, coupled to a bulk sector consisting of six-dimensional supergravity. This picture is motivated by a promising recent attempt (hep-th/0304256) to naturally understand the observed dark energy density, and this connection with dark energy prevents making the extra dimensions smaller than of order 5 $μ$m. The resulting inability to change this size makes the model very predictive, and easily falsifiable within the near future. Being supersymmetric, it may plausibly be embedded into a more fundamental theory such as string theory, in which case an additional 4 compact dimensions may also be present having inverse radii at the TeV scale or higher. The model is close to, but consistent with, current experimental constraints. We outline possible phenomenological implications for particle physics (both at accelerators and elsewhere), for precision tests of gravity, for astrophysics and for cosmology.

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arXiv2004

Racetrack Inflation

We develop a model of eternal topological inflation using a racetrack potential within the context of type IIB string theory with KKLT volume stabilization. The inflaton field is the imaginary part of the Kähler structure modulus, which is an axion-like field in the 4D effective field theory. This model does not require moving branes, and in this sense it is simpler than other models of string theory inflation. Contrary to single-exponential models, the structure of the potential in this example allows for the existence of saddle points between two degenerate local minima for which the slow-roll conditions can be satisfied in a particular range of parameter space. We conjecture that this type of inflation should be present in more general realizations of the modular landscape. We also consider `irrational' models having a dense set of minima, and discuss their possible relevance for the cosmological constant problem.

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arXiv2004

Physics Interplay of the LHC and the ILC

Physics at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and the International e+e- Linear Collider (ILC) will be complementary in many respects, as has been demonstrated at previous generations of hadron and lepton colliders. This report addresses the possible interplay between the LHC and ILC in testing the Standard Model and in discovering and determining the origin of new physics. Mutual benefits for the physics programme at both machines can occur both at the level of a combined interpretation of Hadron Collider and Linear Collider data and at the level of combined analyses of the data, where results obtained at one machine can directly influence the way analyses are carried out at the other machine. Topics under study comprise the physics of weak and strong electroweak symmetry breaking, supersymmetric models, new gauge theories, models with extra dimensions, and electroweak and QCD precision physics. The status of the work that has been carried out within the LHC / LC Study Group so far is summarised in this report. Possible topics for future studies are outlined.

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arXiv2004

General Axisymmetric Solutions and Self-Tuning in 6D Chiral Gauged Supergravity

We re-examine the properties of the axially-symmetric solutions to chiral gauged 6D supergravity, recently found in refs. hep-th/0307238 and hep-th/0308064. Ref. hep-th/0307238 finds the most general solutions having two singularities which are maximally-symmetric in the large 4 dimensions and which are axially-symmetric in the internal dimensions. We show that not all of these solutions have purely conical singularities at the brane positions, and that not all singularities can be interpreted as being the bulk geometry sourced by neutral 3-branes. The subset of solutions for which the metric singularities are conical precisely agree with the solutions of ref. hep-th/0308064. Establishing this connection between the solutions of these two references resolves a minor conflict concerning whether or not the tensions of the resulting branes must be negative. The tensions can be both negative and positive depending on the choice of parameters. We discuss the physical interpretation of the non-conical solutions, including their significance for the proposal for using 6-dimensional self-tuning to understand the small size of the observed vacuum energy. In passing we briefly comment on a recent paper by Garriga and Porrati which criticizes the realization of self-tuning in 6D supergravity.

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arXiv2004

Genetic Algorithms and Experimental Discrimination of SUSY Models

We introduce genetic algorithms as a means to estimate the accuracy required to discriminate among different models using experimental observables. We exemplify the technique in the context of the minimal supersymmetric standard model. If supersymmetric particles are discovered, models of supersymmetry breaking will be fit to the observed spectrum and it is beneficial to ask beforehand: what accuracy is required to always allow the discrimination of two particular models and which are the most important masses to observe? Each model predicts a bounded patch in the space of observables once unknown parameters are scanned over. The questions can be answered by minimising a "distance" measure between the two hypersurfaces. We construct a distance measure that scales like a constant fraction of an observable. Genetic algorithms, including concepts such as natural selection, fitness and mutations, provide a solution to the minimisation problem. We illustrate the efficiency of the method by comparing three different classes of string models for which the above questions could not be answered with previous techniques. The required accuracy is in the range accessible to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) when combined with a future linear collider (LC) facility. The technique presented here can be applied to more general classes of models or observables.

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arXiv2004

Regular S-Brane Backgrounds

We construct time-dependent S-brane solutions to the supergravity field equations in various dimensions which (unlike most such geometries) do not contain curvature singularities. The configurations we consider are less symmetric than are earlier solutions, with our simplest solution being obtained by a simple analytical continuation of the Kerr geometry. We discuss in detail the global structure and properties of this background. We then generalize it to higher dimensions and to include more complicated field configurations - like non vanishing scalars and antisymmetric tensor gauge potentials - by the usual artifice of applying duality symmetries.

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arXiv2004

Inflation in Realistic D-Brane Models

We find successful models of D-brane/anti-brane inflation within a string context. We work within the GKP-KKLT class of type IIB string vacua for which many moduli are stabilized through fluxes, as recently modified to include `realistic' orbifold sectors containing standard-model type particles. We allow all moduli to roll when searching for inflationary solutions and find that inflation is not generic inasmuch as special choices must be made for the parameters describing the vacuum. But given these choices inflation can occur for a reasonably wide range of initial conditions for the brane and antibrane. We find that D-terms associated with the orbifold blowing-up modes play an important role in the inflationary dynamics. Since the models contain a standard-model-like sector after inflation, they open up the possibility of addressing reheating issues. We calculate predictions for the CMB temperature fluctuations and find that these can be consistent with observations, but are generically not deep within the scale-invariant regime and so can allow appreciable values for $dn_s/d\ln k$ as well as predicting a potentially observable gravity-wave signal. It is also possible to generate some admixture of isocurvature fluctuations.

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arXiv2003

Saltatory de Sitter String Vacua

We extend a recent scenario of Kachru, Kallosh, Linde and Trivedi to fix the string moduli fields by using a combination of fluxes and non-perturbative superpotentials, leading to de Sitter vacua. In our scenario the non-perturbative superpotential is taken to be the N=1^* superpotential for an SU(N) theory, originally computed by Dorey and recently rederived using the techniques of Dijkgraaf-Vafa. The fact that this superpotential includes the full instanton contribution gives rise to the existence of a large number of minima, increasing with N. In the absence of supersymmetry breaking these correspond to supersymmetric anti de Sitter vacua. The introduction of antibranes lifts the minima to a chain of (non-supersymmetric) de Sitter minima with the value of the cosmological constant decreasing with increasing compactification scale. Simpler cases are also discussed, including a finite instanton sum, as in the racetrack scenario. The relative semiclassical stability of these vacua is studied. Possible cosmological implications of these potentials are also discussed.

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arXiv2003

Realistic D-Brane Models on Warped Throats: Fluxes, Hierarchies and Moduli Stabilization

We describe the construction of string theory models with semirealistic spectrum in a sector of (anti) D3-branes located at an orbifold singularity at the bottom of a highly warped throat geometry, which is a generalisation of the Klebanov-Strassler deformed conifold. These models realise the Randall-Sundrum proposal to naturally generate the Planck/electroweak hierarchy in a concrete string theory embedding, and yielding interesting chiral open string spectra. We describe examples with Standard Model gauge group (or left-right symmetric extensions) and three families of SM fermions, with correct quantum numbers including hypercharge. The dilaton and complex structure moduli of the geometry are stabilised by the 3-form fluxes required to build the throat. We describe diverse issues concerning the stabilisation of geometric Kahler moduli, like blow-up modes of the orbifold singularities, via D term potentials and gauge theory non-perturbative effects, like gaugino condensation. This local geometry, once embedded in a full compactification, could give rise to models with all moduli stabilised, and with the potential to lead to de Sitter vacua. Issues of gauge unification, proton stability, supersymmetry breaking and Yukawa couplings are also discussed.

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arXiv2003

On Bouncing Brane-Worlds, S-branes and Branonium Cosmology

We present several higher-dimensional spacetimes for which observers living on 3-branes experience an induced metric which bounces. The classes of examples include boundary branes on generalised S-brane backgrounds and probe branes in D-brane/anti D-brane systems. The bounces we consider normally would be expected to require an energy density which violates the weak energy condition, and for our co-dimension one examples this is attributable to bulk curvature terms in the effective Friedmann equation. We examine the features of the acceleration which provides the bounce, including in some cases the existence of positive acceleration without event horizons, and we give a geometrical interpretation for it. We discuss the stability of the solutions from the point of view of both the brane and the bulk. Some of our examples appear to be stable from the bulk point of view, suggesting the possible existence of stable bouncing cosmologies within the brane-world framework.

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