Clockwork without supersymmetry

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that the clockwork mechanism can be realized without supersymmetry, relying instead on higher-dimensional diffeomorphism invariance, and shows its emergence from pure gravity with extra dimensions.

Contribution

It introduces a supersymmetry-independent model for clockwork using higher-dimensional gravity and diffeomorphism invariance, expanding the theoretical foundation of the mechanism.

Findings

Clockwork can be achieved without supersymmetry.

The mechanism emerges from pure gravity with extra dimensions.

The linear dilaton model is recovered in the limit of infinite extra dimensions.

Abstract

The clockwork mechanism would be completely spoiled by the presence of a cosmological constant in the bulk of its 5D construction, or by analogous terms in the discrete case. It is believed that supersymmetry is required to forbid the appearance of these fatal terms, thus apparently tying the fate of the clockwork to the presence of supersymmetry. In this letter we argue that a robust clockwork can be obtained also without supersymmetry, by providing a model for the clockwork/linear dilaton EFT where this protection is instead related to diffeomorphism invariance in a higher number of extra dimensions. We show that the clockwork mechanism is a quite general setup that emerges, rather minimally, from pure gravity in the presence of $D-5$ additional flat extra dimensions. The linear dilaton model is obtained asymptotically in the limit of infinitely many extra dimensions. We then study the finite-$D$ theory, which is a deformation of the linear dilaton one, but still a clockwork theory for $D$ large enough.