Racing through the swampland: de Sitter uplift vs weak gravity

Abstract

We observe that racetrack models for moduli stabilization are in tension with strong forms of the Weak Gravity Conjecture (WGC). Moreover, recently, it was noted that controlled KKLT-type de Sitter vacua seem to require a racetrack fine-tuning of the type introduced by Kallosh and Linde. We combine these observations and conclude that the quests for realizing parametrically large axion decay constants and controlled de Sitter vacua are intimately related. Finally, we discuss possible approaches to curing the conflict between the racetrack scheme and the WGC.