2010/10/31 by Adam R. Brown, Alex Dahlen · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #hep-th #gr-qc
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.84.023513
published as Phys.Rev.D84:023513,2011 · Minor updates to agree with published version. 9 pages, 4 figures
arxiv created 2011/09/14 · arxiv updated 2011/09/16
There is a standard story about decay in multi-dimensional flux landscapes: that from any state, the fastest decay is to take a small step, discharging one flux unit at a time; that fluxes with the same coupling constant are interchangeable; and that states with N units of a given flux have the same decay rate as those with -N. We show that this standard story is false. The fastest decay is a giant leap that discharges many different fluxes in unison; this decay is mediated by a 'minimal' brane that wraps the internal manifold and exhibits behavior not visible in the effective theory. We discuss the implications for the cosmological constant.