Dark Energy: From EFTs to Supergravity

This book discusses supergravity and supergravity-motivated effective field theories in cosmological model building, with a focus on extracting information about quintessence from string theory. It reviews standard perturbative and non-perturbative techniques and highlights the challenges of modelling quintessence in perturbative string theory, placing the wider programme on a collision course with observations.

Format: Hardback
Length: 220 pages
Publication date: 02 January 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This comprehensive book delves into the realm of supergravity and supergravity-motivated effective field theories, providing a valuable framework for cosmological model building. The exploration of quintessence extraction from string theory has garnered significant attention in recent years, particularly in light of the uncertainty surrounding the possibility of obtaining de Sitter space. This has sparked an intriguing debate regarding whether de Sitter space or, indeed, quintessence can be derived from a fundamental theory, such as string theory. As a result, this field of research remains highly active, and the topics covered in this book make it particularly timely. Throughout the book, special attention is paid to demonstrating the historical relevance of the field and outlining the open questions that drive the state-of-the-art research.

In the first few chapters of each part, a detailed review of standard perturbative and non-perturbative techniques in supergravity model building is presented, serving as a foundation for the more technical and innovative subsequent chapters. These early chapters also function as a self-contained review, making them invaluable for anyone considering delving into this challenging area of study.

The subsequent chapters delve into the realm of supergravity-motivated effective field theories in the first part and supergravity models in the second part. One of the key findings in this book is that modelling quintessence in perturbative string theory presents similar challenges to modelling de Sitter, thereby placing the broader programme on a collision course with observations. This underscores the complexities involved in understanding the nature of dark energy and its potential implications for our understanding of the universe.

Overall, this book offers a comprehensive and insightful exploration of supergravity and supergravity-motivated effective field theories, making it an essential resource for researchers and students in the field. Its timely coverage of key topics and detailed discussions of relevant techniques make it a valuable addition to the literature on cosmology and astrophysics.

Weight: 530g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031214677
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023