1999/06/30 by Michael Dine, Yuri Shirman · 1 citation
Engineering · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Computer science #Constant (computer programming) #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Coupling (piping) #Coupling constant #Engineering #Gauge (firearms) #Holomorphic function #Mathematical analysis #Mathematics #Mechanism (biology) #Moduli #Order (exchange) #Particle physics #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #Physics #Pure mathematics #Quantum mechanics #Scheme (mathematics) #String (physics) #String theory #Theoretical physics #hep-ph #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.63.046005
published as Phys.Rev. D63 (2001) 046005 · 20 pp, latex, discussion of calculability modified
arxiv created 2000/10/18 · openalex publication_date 2001/01/29 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2016/08/23 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
There are only a small number of ideas for stabilizing the moduli of string theory. One of the most appealing of these is the racetrack mechanism, in which a delicate interplay between two strongly interacting gauge groups fixes the value of the coupling constant. In this paper, we explore this scenario. We find that, quite generally, some number of discrete tunings are required in order that the mechanism yield a small gauge coupling. Even then, there is, in general, no systematic weak coupling approximation. On the other hand, certain holomorphic quantities can be computed, so such a scheme is in principle predictive. Searching for models which realize this mechanism is thus of great interest. We also remark on cosmology in these schemes.