A distance conjecture beyond moduli?

TL;DR

This paper explores extending the distance conjecture to include scalar potentials in theories without moduli, testing the idea in cosmological models and linking it to supersymmetry concepts.

Contribution

It proposes a generalization of the distance conjecture to scalar potentials, connecting it with pseudo-/fake supersymmetry and applying it to cosmological ekpyrotic scenarios.

Findings

Generalized distance conjecture tested in specific models

Link established between the conjecture and pseudo-/fake supersymmetry

Potential stringy embedding of ekpyrosis via KKLT potential

Abstract

The distance conjecture states that for theories with moduli coupled to gravity a tower of states becomes light exponentially in the geodesic distance in moduli space. This specifies how effective field theories break down for large field values. However, phenomenological field theories have no moduli, but a scalar potential that deforms dynamical trajectories away from geodesic curves. In this note we speculate on how one should generalise the distance conjecture, in asymptotic field regimes, to include a scalar potential. We test the generalised distance conjecture in a few cases, demonstrate a link with pseudo-/fake supersymmetry and apply it to the ekpyrotic scenario in cosmology. For the latter we observe that the pre-uplift KKLT potential could provide a stringy embedding of ekpyrosis away from the asymptotic regimes in field space.