1:30 pm
A distance Conjecture for Branes.
The Swampland Distance Conjecture of Ooguri and Vafa proposes that, in asymptotic limits of the moduli space of string theory vacua, there exist towers of particles with exponentially light masses. More recently, the Sharpened Distance Conjecture proposes a precise bound on the rates at which these towers become light. In this talk, I will review this subject and introduce the Brane Distance Conjecture, which is a consequence and generalization of the Sharpened Distance Conjecture. This new conjecture holds that, in an asymptotic distance Delta in the moduli space of a D-dimensional string theory, at least one particle tower or non-particle brane of at most P spacetime dimensions will have an exponentially low tension T~exp(-alpha Delta), where alpha is at least 1/sqrt(D-P-1). I will show that this new conjecture is satisfied in multiple string theory examples and discuss how it connects with other Swampland Conjectures. I will also discuss how it might suggest the existence of novel, undiscovered branes in 10d heterotic string theory. Based on 2407.20316 with Ben Heidenreich and Tom Rudelius.