2020/04/22 by Fu-Wen Shu
Physics and Astronomy · #gr-qc #astro-ph.CO #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135907
6 pages, 1 figure
arxiv created 2020/04/22 · arxiv updated 2020/11/11
We show an inconsistence of the novel 4D Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity by considering a quantum tunneling process of vacua. Using standard semi-classical techniques, we analytically study the vacuum decay rate for all allowed cases in the parameter space. It turns out, without exception, that the theory either encounters a disastrous divergence of vacuum decay rate, or exhibits a confusing complex value of vacuum decay rate, or involves an infinitely instability (a large vacuum mixing). These suggest a strong possibility that the theory, at least the vacuum of the theory, is either unphysical or unstable, or has no well-defined limit as D→ 4.