Physics From Extra Dimensions

Abstract

A brief review of the recent developments in the physics from extra dimensions is given with a focus on the effects of Kaluza-Klein excitations in the Standard Model sector. It is shown that the current accurate data on the Fermi constant and on other electro-weak parameters puts a lower bound on the scale of extra dimensions of $\sim$ 3 TeV, and thus the observation of such dimensions lies beyond the reach of accelerators in the near future. The correction to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon from extra dimensions is discussed and one finds that with the current limit on the scale of extra dimensions from the Fermi constant, the correction to $g_μ-2$ does not compete with the potentially large contributions from the supersymmetric electro-weak correction. The possibility of generating Kaluza-Klein excitations associated with large radius compactifications at the LHC is discussed. It is shown that if such excitations are indeed produced their resonance structure will encode information on the number of compactified dimensions as well as on the nature of the specific orbifold compactification. A brief discussion of difficulties such as rapid proton decay that one encounters in theories with large radius compactifications is given.