Work

Spontaneous decompactification

Year: 2004

Type: article

Abstract: Positive vacuum energy together with extra dimensions of space imply that our four-dimensional Universe is unstable, generically to decompactification of the extra dimensions. Either quantum tunneling or thermal fluctuations carry one past a barrier into the decompactifying regime. We give an overview of this process, and examine the subsequent expansion into the higher-dimensional geometry. This is governed by certain fixed-point solutions of the evolution equations, which are studied for both positive and negative spatial curvature. In the case where there is a higher-dimensional cosmological constant, we also outline a possible mechanism for compactification to a four-dimensional de Sitter cosmology.

Source: Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields

DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.70.046005

Authors: Steven B. Giddings, Robert C. Myers

Institutions: University of California, Santa Barbara, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Waterloo, Perimeter Institute

Language: English

Topic: Cosmology and Gravitation Theories

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green