Why do we observe a weak force? The hierarchy problem in the multiverse

Abstract

Unless the scale of electroweak symmetry breaking is stabilized dynamically, most of the universes in a multiverse theory will lack an observable weak nuclear interaction. Such "weakless universes" could support intelligent life based on organic chemistry, as long as other parameters are properly adjusted. By taking into account the seemingly-unrelated flavor dynamics that address the hierarchy of quark masses and mixings, we show that such weakless (but hospitable) universes can be far more common than universes like ours. The gauge hierarchy problem therefore calls for a dynamical (rather than anthropic) solution.

5 pages, 1 figure. v2: Minor modifications, reference added. v3: Minor clarifications; matches published version

References in corpus (13)

• Observational Evidence from Supernovae for an Accelerating Universe and a Cosmological Constant
• Measurements of Omega and Lambda from 42 High-Redshift Supernovae
• Strong Dynamics and Electroweak Symmetry Breaking
• Flux Compactification
• Hierarchies without Symmetries from Extra Dimensions
• Eternal inflation and its implications
• The anthropic principle and the mass scale of the Standard Model
• Low Energy Supersymmetry From the Landscape
• Anthropic considerations in multiple domain theories and the scale of electroweak symmetry breaking
• A Universe Without Weak Interactions
• Evidence for the Multiverse in the Standard Model and Beyond
• Landscape Predictions for the Higgs Boson and Top Quark Masses
• Likely values of the Higgs vev

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Life at the Interface of Particle Physics and String Theory
• The Degree of Fine-Tuning in our Universe -- and Others
• Universes without the Weak Force: Astrophysical Processes with Stable Neutrons
• GUTs without guts
• Frequency-scanning considerations in axionlike dark matter spin-precession experiments
• Flavor Beyond the Standard Universe