Quantum stabilization of thermal brane-worlds in M-theory

TL;DR

This paper investigates how quantum effects in M-theory can stabilize the size of the extra dimension in a thermal brane-world scenario, providing a potential mechanism for radion stabilization.

Contribution

It demonstrates that quantum effective potential at low temperature can stabilize the radius of the 11th dimension in M-theory brane-world models.

Findings

Quantum effective potential can stabilize the radion.

Stabilization is demonstrated explicitly at low temperature.

Analysis is performed in both flat and AdS backgrounds.

Abstract

Low-energy effective M-theory (11d supergravity or 11d SUSY theory) is considered in 11d flat or AdS background. After orbifold compactification of eleventh dimension one gets flat 10d brane at non-zero temperature. Quantum effective potential (free energy at low-temperature approximation) is calculated on such brane with account of only lowest mass from Kaluza-Klein modes. Such effective potential may stabilize the radius of 11th dimension (radion stabilization) as it is demonstrated explicitly.