A No-go theorem for de Sitter compactifications?

TL;DR

This paper discusses a no-go theorem indicating that de Sitter compactifications are generally not feasible within certain supergravity and string theory frameworks, highlighting fundamental limitations for constructing de Sitter spaces in these theories.

Contribution

It contextualizes previous no-go results within the renewed interest in de Sitter spacetimes, emphasizing the theoretical constraints on their realization in supergravity and string theories.

Findings

De Sitter compactifications are generally disfavoured.

Warp factors do not facilitate de Sitter solutions under broad conditions.

The results reinforce fundamental limitations in string theory models.

Abstract

A general framework for studying compactifications in supergravity and string theories was introduced by Candelas, Horowitz, Strominger and Witten. This was further generalised to take into account the warp factor by de Wit, Smit and Hari Dass. Though the prime focus of the latter was to find solutions with nontrivial warp factors (shown not to exist under a variety of circumstances), it was shown there that de Sitter compactifications are generically disfavoured. In this note we place these results in the context of a revived interest in de Sitter spacetimes .