Gaugino Condensation and the Cosmological Constant

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether string theory corrections, including gaugino condensation, can produce de Sitter solutions, but finds only Minkowski spacetimes are consistent with these ingredients.

Contribution

It analyzes combined effects of fluxes, gauge bundles, higher derivatives, and gaugino condensation to challenge existing no-go theorems for de Sitter solutions.

Findings

Only Minkowski solutions are consistent with the considered ingredients.

De Sitter and anti-de Sitter solutions are ruled out with these corrections.

Supports the constraints imposed by no-go theorems in string theory.

Abstract

The existence of de Sitter solutions in string theory is strongly constrained by no-go theorems. We continue our investigation of corrections to the heterotic effective action, with the aim of either strengthening or evading the these constraints. We consider the combined effects of H-flux, gauge bundles, higher derivative corrections and gaugino condensation. The only consistent solutions we find with maximal symmetry in four dimensions are Minkowski spacetimes, ruling out both de Sitter and anti-de Sitter solutions constructed from these ingredients alone.