Can gravitational instantons really constrain axion inflation?
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Axions play a central role in inflationary model building and other cosmological applications. This is mainly due to their flat potential, which is protected by a global shift symmetry. However, quantum gravity is known to break global symmetries, the crucial effect in the present context being gravitational instantons or Giddings-Strominger wormholes. We attempt to quantify, as model-independently as possible, how large a scalar potential is induced by this general quantum gravity effect. We pay particular attention to the crucial issue which solutions can or cannot be trusted in the presence of a moduli-stabilisation and a Kaluza-Klein scale. An important conclusion is that, due to specific numerical prefactors, the effect is surprisingly small even in UV-completions with the highest possible scale offered by string theory. As we go along, we discuss in detail Euclidean wormholes, cored and extremal instantons, and how the latter arise from 5d Reissner-Nordström black holes. We attempt to dispel possible doubts that wormholes contribute to the scalar potential by an explicit calculation. We analyse the role of stabilised dilaton-like moduli. Finally, we argue that Euclidean wormholes may be the objects satisfying the Weak Gravity Conjecture extended to instantons.
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There are difficulties in making strong, generic arguments against large-field axionic inflation.
“We review some of this discussion, pointing out in particular difficulties in making strong, generic arguments against large-field axionic inflation (Hebecker et al., 2017).”
From Euclidean Wormholes, Baby Universes, and Their Impact on Particle Physics and Cosmology (2018) · cites this paper as Hebecker et al., 2017
Taking into account the large numerical prefactor 3π^3/2 and the value Λ_inf^4 ∼ 10^{-8} M_P^4 relevant for phenomenological large field inflation, the inequality (62) is saturated at μ_UV ≃ 2.5 M_P (corresponding to r_n ≃ 0.4 M_P), so even the smallest controlled wormhole solutions appear harmless.
“However, taking into account the surprisingly large numerical prefactor 3π 3 /2 and the value 4 inf ∼ 10 -8 M P relevant for phenomenological large field inflation, the conclusion changes dramatically.One finds that the inequality (62) is saturated at µ UV ≃ 2.5 M P (corresponding to r n ≃ 0.4M P ).Thus, even the smallest controlled wormhole solutions appear to be harmless (Hebecker et al., 2017).”
From Euclidean Wormholes, Baby Universes, and Their Impact on Particle Physics and Cosmology (2018) · cites this paper as Hebecker et al., 2017
For effective axions with f > M_P, wormholes could in principle have a sizeable impact in the inflaton potential.
“For (effective) axions with f > M P , this is relevant in the context of large-field inflation, where wormholes could in principle have a sizeable impact in the inflaton potential (Montero et al., 2015;Hebecker et al., 2017).”
From Euclidean Wormholes, Baby Universes, and Their Impact on Particle Physics and Cosmology (2018) · cites this paper as Hebecker et al., 2017
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- Authors
- Hebecker, A., Mangat, P., Theisen, S., & Witkowski, L. T.
- Affiliations
- Heidelberg University (DE)
- Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Mangat, Patrick
- Venue
- Journal of High Energy Physics
- Published
- 2017-02
- Volume
- 2017
- Issue
- 2
- ISSN
- 1029-8479 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2508596512
- Cited by
- 66
- References
- 89
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 10
- FWCI
- 5.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Journal of High Energy Physics (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (TRR 33)
- Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Nuclear and High Energy Physics › Black Holes and Theoretical Physics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Cosmology and Gravitation Theories
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Statistical and Nonlinear Physics › Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories
- Keywords
- axion inflation, gravitational instantons, quantum gravity, symmetry breaking, scalar potential, moduli stabilization, Kaluza-Klein scale, Euclidean wormholes, Reissner-Nordström black hole, weak gravity conjecture, string theory
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