On De Sitter Vacua in Strongly Coupled Heterotic String Theory

TL;DR

This paper explores how 4d de Sitter vacua can arise from strongly coupled heterotic string theory through non-perturbative effects and fluxes, leading to supersymmetry breaking, massive matter fields, and potential dark matter candidates.

Contribution

It demonstrates a mechanism for obtaining de Sitter vacua in heterotic M-theory with realistic matter and dark matter features, advancing string cosmology models.

Findings

De Sitter vacua can emerge from heterotic M-theory with non-perturbative effects.

Charged matter fields become massive, addressing previous massless issues.

Natural dark matter candidates appear in these vacua.

Abstract

We describe how 4d de Sitter vacua might emerge from 11d heterotic M-theory. Non-perturbative effects and $G$-fluxes play a crucial role leading to vacua with F-term supersymmetry breaking and a positive energy density. Charged scalar matter fields are no longer massless in these vacua thus solving one of the problems of the heterotic string. Moreover, interesting dark matter candidates appear in a natural way.