Consistency of Scalar Potentials from Quantum de Sitter Space

José R. Espinosa, Jean-François Fortin, Maxime Trépanier

Published 2015-08-21Version 1

We derive constraints on the scalar potential of a quantum field theory in de Sitter space. The constraints, which we argue should be understood as consistency conditions for quantum field theories in dS space, originate from a consistent interpretation of quantum de Sitter space through its Coleman-De Luccia tunneling rate. Indeed, consistency of de Sitter space as a quantum theory of gravity with a finite number of degrees of freedom suggests the tunneling rates to vacua with negative cosmological constants be interpreted as Poincar\'e recurrences. Demanding the tunneling rate to be a Poincar\'e recurrence imposes two constraints, or consistency conditions, on the scalar potential. Although the exact consistency conditions depend on the shape of the scalar potential, generically they 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. These consistency conditions shed a different light on both outstanding hierarchy problems of the Standard Model of particle physics: the scale of electroweak symmetry breaking and the scale of the cosmological constant.