Speaker
Dr
Irene Valenzuela
(MPI, Munich)
Description
Axion monodromy is a promising proposal to achieve a transplanckian field range for an axion in string theory. These models are better described in terms of a Minkowski 3-form field which couples linearly to the axion, in the Kaloper-Sorbo fashion. We highlight the differences between this simple effective theory and the structure actually obtained from string theory. We show that all the RR and NS axion dependence of the flux Type II scalar potential appears through the said 3-forms. However, the presence of multiple 3-forms and the mixing with other (non-axionic) moduli makes necessary to revisit the arguments regarding perturbative control and backreaction, which indeed might reduce the effective field range. We also show the constraints on the field range coming from the Weak Gravity Conjecture when applied to these 3-forms, and the implications for large field inflation and the relaxion proposal to the EW hierarchy problem.
Primary author
Dr
Irene Valenzuela
(MPI, Munich)
Co-author
Prof.
Luis Ibanez
(IFT Madrid)
