Solving the Hierarchy Problem in Two-Brane Cosmological Models

Abstract

We analyze cosmological solutions in the class of two-brane models with arbitrary tensions which contain matter with general equations of state. We show that the mass hierarchy between the two branes is determined by the ratio of the lapse functions evaluated on the branes. This ratio can be sufficiently small without fine-tuning the brane separation, once the transverse dimension is stabilized. For suitably large interbrane separations, both brane tensions are positive. We also find that the cosmological evolution obeys the standard four-dimensional Friedman equation up to small corrections.