A Clockwork Theory

TL;DR

The paper introduces the clockwork mechanism, a versatile framework for generating light particles with suppressed interactions, applicable to various fields and potentially solving the Higgs naturalness problem.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive description of the clockwork mechanism for scalars, fermions, gauge bosons, and gravitons, including both discrete and continuum implementations.

Findings

Clockwork can be realized with discrete fields or an extra dimension.

Continuum clockwork offers a solution to the Higgs naturalness problem.

Models exhibit a distinctive spectrum of closely spaced resonances.

Abstract

The clockwork is a mechanism for generating light particles with exponentially suppressed interactions in theories which contain no small parameters at the fundamental level. We develop a general description of the clockwork mechanism valid for scalars, fermions, gauge bosons, and gravitons. This mechanism can be implemented with a discrete set of new fields or, in its continuum version, through an extra spatial dimension. In both cases the clockwork emerges as a useful tool for model-building applications. Notably, the continuum clockwork offers a solution to the Higgs naturalness problem, which turns out to be the same as in linear dilaton duals of Little String Theory. We also elucidate the similarities and differences of the continuum clockwork with large extra dimensions and warped spaces. All clockwork models, in the discrete and continuum, exhibit novel phenomenology with a distinctive spectrum of closely spaced resonances.