HEP Theory Journal Club

Consistency of Scalar Potentials from Quantum de Sitter Space

Jean-François Fortin

Université Laval

We discuss speculative constraints on scalar potentials of quantum field theories in de Sitter space.  The constraints are derived from the assumption that consistent quantum field theories in de Sitter space have a finite number of quantum states, forcing an entropic interpretation of quantum tunneling events from the de Sitter vacuum to spaces with negative cosmological constants.  Generically, the constraints correspond to: the distance in field space between the de Sitter vacuum and any other vacuum with negative cosmological constant must be of the order of the reduced Planck mass or larger; and the fourth root of the vacuum energy density of the de Sitter vacuum must be smaller than the fourth root of the typical scale of the scalar potential.