Radion stabilization from the vacuum on flat extra dimensions

Abstract

Volume stabilization in models with flat extra dimension could follow from vacuum energy residing in the bulk when translational invariance is spontaneously broken. We study a simple toy model that exemplifies this mechanism which considers a massive scalar field with non trivial boundary conditions at the end points of the compact space, and includes contributions from brane and bulk cosmological constants. We perform our analysis in the conformal frame where the radion field, associated with volume variations, is defined, and present a general strategy for building stabilization potentials out of those ingredients. We also provide working examples for the interval and the $T^n/Z_2$ orbifold configuration.