Moduli and Graviton Production during Moduli Stabilization

TL;DR

This paper investigates the production of moduli and gravitons during the stabilization process of scalar fields in theories with extra dimensions, revealing resonant and tachyonic instabilities that impact the stabilization duration.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of moduli and graviton production during stabilization, highlighting resonant effects and instabilities in a radiation-dominated background.

Findings

Resonant production of moduli fluctuations.

Tachyonic instability leading to gravitational waves.

Shortened stabilization period on a Hubble time scale.

Abstract

In theories beyond the Standard Model, in particular in theories with extra spatial dimensions such as superstring theory, there are a large number of scalar fields which appear in the low energy effective action. These moduli fields must be stabilized. Often, moduli stabilization involves a stage during which the moduli fields oscillatte coherently about their ground state value. Here, we study moduli and graviton production during the period during which the background modulus field is oscillating, assuming that this period takes place in the radiation phase. We find a resonant production of moduli fluctuations, and a tachyonic instability to the generation of long wavelength gravitational waves. As a consequence, the period of moduli stabilization is short on a Hubble time scale.