A scalar potential from gauge condensation and its implications

TL;DR

This paper explores how gauge condensation can generate a scalar potential dynamically, potentially explaining dark matter or electroweak symmetry breaking through a new physics scale.

Contribution

It introduces a mechanism where gauge confinement induces a scalar potential, providing a novel way to generate physical scales from gauge dynamics.

Findings

A gauge-condensation-induced scalar potential is derived.

The mechanism can explain the origin of dark matter.

Implications for electroweak symmetry breaking are discussed.

Abstract

We consider a scalar field $\phi$ whose coupling to the kinetic term of a non-abelian gauge field is set at an UV scale $M$. Then the confinement of the gauge sector will induce a $\phi$-dependent vacuum energy which generates a dimensionful potential for the scalar. It provides a good example of dynamical generation of a new physics scale below $M$ through the vacuum expectation value $\langle \phi \rangle$. This mechanism may shed light on the origin of dark matter, or spontaneous symmetry breaking applicable to the electroweak symmetry.