Related papers: The weak gravity conjecture in perturbative string…
We propose a generalisation of the Weak Gravity Conjecture in the presence of scalar fields. The proposal is guided by properties of extremal black holes in ${\cal N}=2$ supergravity, but can be understood more generally in terms of…
The Cosmological Constant Problem is re-examined from an effective field theory perspective. While the connection between gravity and particle physics has not been experimentally probed in the quantum regime, it is severely constrained by…
This text is a review of aspects of supergravity theories that are relevant in superstring cosmology. In particular, it considers the possibilities and restrictions for `uplifting terms', i.e. methods to produce de Sitter vacua. We…
In this paper, we introduce the classes of weakly surjunctive and linearly surjunctive groups which include all sofic groups and more generally all surjunctive groups. We investigate various properties of such groups and establish in…
Recently, it has been argued that application of the Weak Gravity Conjecture (WGC) to spin-2 fields implies a universal upper bound on the cutoff of the effective theory for a single spin-2 field. We point out here that these arguments are…
We discuss the possible applications of string theory for the construction of generalizations of the $SU(3)\times SU(2)\times U(1)$ standard model of strong and electroweak interactions. This includes an investigation of effective $d=4$…
For any quasi de Sitter background, we show that a recently proposed scalar weak gravity conjecture (sWGC) follows from the swampland distance conjecture, together with the covariant entropy bound. While pointing out the limitations of our…
We study ultraviolet cutoffs associated with the Weak Gravity Conjecture (WGC) and Sublattice Weak Gravity Conjecture (sLWGC). There is a magnetic WGC cutoff at the energy scale $e G_N^{-1/2}$ with an associated sLWGC tower of charged…
This is a broad-brush review of how string theory addresses several important questions of gravitational physics. The problem of non-renormalizability is first reviewed, followed by introduction of string theory as an ultraviolet-finite…
Weak cosmic censorship conjecture (WCCC) is a basic principle that guarantees the predictability of spacetime and should be valid in any classical theories. One critical scientific question is whether the WCCC can serve as a constraint to…
I briefly summarize a recent research program aiming to probe the landscape of low-energy phases of string theory from a global perspective. Borrowing conceptual lessons from the swampland program, I will discuss how the effective theories…
The gravitational fields of vacuumless global and gauge strings have been investigated in the context of Einstein Cartan theory under the weak field assumption of the field equations. It has been shown that global string and gauge string…
The Weak Gravity Conjecture (WGC) posits that gravity must be the weakest force in any consistent theory of quantum gravity. Originally formulated to constrain the landscape of effective field theories arising from string theory, the WGC…
We study the stochastic gravitational wave background sourced by a network of cosmic superstrings and demonstrate that incorporating higher-mass string species, beyond the fundamental string, is crucial for accurately modelling the…
String theory, if it describes nature, is probably strongly coupled. As a result, one might despair of making any statements about the theory. In the framework of a set of clearly spelled out assumptions, we show that this is not…
The gravitational properties of a local cosmic string in the framework of scalar-tensor gravity are examined. We find the metric in the weak-field approximation and we show that, contrary to the General Relativity case, the cosmic string in…
It has recently been suggested that "gravity is the weakest force" in any theory with a suitable UV completion within quantum gravity. One formulation of this statement is the scalar weak gravity conjecture, which states that gravity is…
The observation of a scalar resonance at the LHC, compatible with perturbative electroweak symmetry breaking, reinforces the Standard Model parameterisation of all subatomic data. The logarithmic evolution of the SM gauge and matter…
The extreme-gravity collisions between black holes allow us to probe the underlying theory of gravity. We apply the theory-agnostic inspiral-merger-ringdown consistency test to an example theory beyond general relativity for the first time.…
We discuss implications of Weak gravity conjecture (WGC) for exotic D-brane instantons. In particular, WGC leads to indirect stringent bounds on non-perturbative superpotentials generated by exotic instantons, with many implications for…