Quantum tunneling in flux compactifications

, and

Published 4 December 2009 Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd
, , Citation Jose J. Blanco-Pillado et al JCAP12(2009)006 DOI 10.1088/1475-7516/2009/12/006

1475-7516/2009/12/006

Abstract

We identify instantons representing vacuum decay in a 6-dimensional toy model for string theory flux compactifications, with the two extra dimensions compactified on a sphere. We evaluate the instanton action for tunneling between different flux vacua, as well as for the decompactification decay channel. The bubbles resulting from flux tunneling have an unusual structure. They are bounded by two-dimensional branes, which are localized in the extra dimensions. This has important implications for bubble collisions.

Export citation and abstract BibTeX RIS

10.1088/1475-7516/2009/12/006