Physics – High Energy Physics – High Energy Physics - Theory
Scientific paper
2004-02-25
Annals Phys. 313 (2004) 283-401
Physics
High Energy Physics
High Energy Physics - Theory
21 pages; an extended version of the contribution to the proceedings of SUSY 2003, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ, June 2003
Scientific paper
10.1016/j.aop.2004.04.012
This article critically reviews the proposal for addressing the cosmological constant problem within the framework of supersymmetric large extra dimensions (SLED), as recently proposed in hep-th/0304256. After a brief restatement of the cosmological constant problem, a short summary of the proposed mechanism is given. The emphasis is on the perspective of the low-energy effective theory in order to see how it addresses the problem of why low-energy particles like the electron do not contribute too large a vacuum energy. This is followed by a discussion of the main objections, which are grouped into the following five topics: (1) Weinberg's No-Go Theorem. (2) Are hidden tunings of the theory required, and a problem? (3) Why should the mechanism not rule out earlier epochs of inflation? (4) How big are quantum effects, and which are the most dangerous? (5) Can the mechanism be consistent with cosmological constraints? It is argued that there are plausible reasons why the mechanism can thread the potential objections, but that a definitive proof that it does depends on addressing well-defined technical points. These points include identifying what fixes the size of the extra dimensions, checking how topological obstructions renormalize and performing specific calculations of quantum corrections. More detailed studies of these issues, which are well reach within our present understanding of extra-dimensional theories, are currently underway. As such, the jury remains out concerning the proposal, although the prospects for acquittal still seem good.
No associations
LandOfFree
Supersymmetric Large Extra Dimensions and the Cosmological Constant: An Update does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Supersymmetric Large Extra Dimensions and the Cosmological Constant: An Update, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Supersymmetric Large Extra Dimensions and the Cosmological Constant: An Update will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-484893