Quantum Tunneling in Flux Compactifications

TL;DR

This paper investigates quantum tunneling processes in a 6-dimensional string theory flux compactification model, focusing on instantons, vacuum decay, and bubble structures with implications for bubble collisions.

Contribution

It identifies instantons for vacuum decay in a 6D flux compactification model and analyzes their properties, including bubble structure and decay channels.

Findings

Instantons for flux tunneling and decompactification decay are evaluated.

Bubbles are bounded by 2D branes localized in extra dimensions.

Unusual bubble structures have implications for bubble collision dynamics.

Abstract

We identify instantons representing vacuum decay in a 6-dimensional toy model for string theory flux compactifications, with the two extra dimensions compactified on a sphere. We evaluate the instanton action for tunneling between different flux vacua, as well as for the decompactification decay channel. The bubbles resulting from flux tunneling have an unusual structure. They are bounded by two-dimensional branes, which are localized in the extra dimensions. This has important implications for bubble collisions.