Obstacles for dS in Supersymmetric Theories

Abstract

We present two types of obstacles for constructing de Sitter space in supersymmetric theories that appear as effective theories of quantum gravity. The first obstacle concerns de Sitter critical points in extended supergravity with charged massless gravitini. We show that all such critical points have a Hubble scale of the same order or above the UV cutoff dictated by the magnetic Weak Gravity Conjecture. The second obstacle concerns the dynamics of the goldstino in models with non-linearly realized supersymmetry, such as string models involving anti-branes. We show, using an exact renormalization group approach, that the goldstino sector has an instability toward the formation of condensates, which may have important qualitative consequences for de Sitter constructions involving anti-brane uplifts.

Goldstino condensation at large N

“…This effect has a crucial impact on string flux compactifications and signals an intrinsic instability that may be generically present in anti-brane uplifts to de Sitter vacua [7][8][9][10][11][12]. This instability also adds a new obstacle to obtaining 4D long-lived de Sitter critical configurations from supersymmetric string theories [13][14][15][16][17], 1 and may further restrict de Sitter solutions in 4D N = 1 supergravity, thus extending some previous results [21][22][23][24][25]. Furthermore, within N = 1 supergravity, the goldstino condensation effect seems to persist [6], and it should be related to the gravitino condensation, which again shows a tachyonic instability [26][27][28][29][30].…”

De Sitter, gravitino mass and the swampland

“…A slightly modified version of the argument above against scale separation in anti-de Sitter can be formulated and used to constrain effective theories with de Sitter critical points and with a vanishing gravitino mass on the vacuum. This argument appeared originally in [53][54][55] and is reviewed in the present section together with some examples.…”