Environment Dependent Electron Mass and the H${}_0$-Tension

Abstract

A difference in the electron mass at recombination from the measured value today has been shown to relieve the Hubble tension. In this article we propose a simple mechanism that would allow for such a mass difference. Similar in form to the Higgs field, we consider a Yukawa coupling between the symmetron scalar field and the electron. However, the symmetron vacuum expectation value depends on the matter density of its environment which, in principle, would allow its contribution towards the electron mass to differ between recombination and today. We detail the coupling and discuss possible observables.

arXiv comment5 pages, 2 figures

References in corpus (22)

• In the Realm of the Hubble tension $-$ a Review of Solutions
• Symmetron Fields: Screening Long-Range Forces Through Local Symmetry Restoration
• Environmental Dependence of Masses and Coupling Constants
• Symmetron Cosmology
• Updated fundamental constant constraints from Planck 2018 data and possible relations to the Hubble tension
• Early-universe constraints on a time-varying fine structure constant
• A local resolution of the Hubble tension: The impact of screened fifth forces on the cosmic distance ladder
• Constraining Variations in the Fine-Structure Constant with the Cosmic Microwave Background
• Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Results: A 2.7% measurement of Baryon Acoustic Oscillation distance scale at redshift 0.835
• Early recombination as a solution to the $H_0$ tension
• Looking for a varying $\alpha$ in the Cosmic Microwave Background
• Cosmic concordance and the fine structure constant
• New constraints on time-dependent variations of fundamental constants using Planck data
• The Dark Matter Profiles in the Milky Way
• Measuring $\alpha$ in the Early Universe: CMB Polarization, Reionization and the Fisher Matrix Analysis
• WMAP Constraints on varying $\alpha$ and the Promise of Reionization
• Can Non-standard Recombination Resolve the Hubble Tension?
• Towards a UV Completion for Chameleon Scalar Theories
• The Fine Structure Constant and the CMB Damping Scale
• Measuring the electron Yukawa coupling via resonant s-channel Higgs production at FCC-ee
• Symmetron Inflation
• The Hubble Constant in the Axi-Higgs Universe

Cited by in corpus (9)

• Seven hints that early-time new physics alone is not sufficient to solve the Hubble tension
• Combining pre- and post-recombination new physics to address cosmological tensions: case study with varying electron mass and sign-switching cosmological constant
• Cosmology with varying fundamental constants from hyperlight, coupled scalars
• Lensing with generalized symmetrons
• Big Bang Nucleosynthesis constraints on varying electron mass solution to the Hubble tension
• Electron mass variation from dark sector interactions and compatibility with cosmological observations
• Lensing amplitude anomaly and varying electron mass alleviate the Hubble and $S_8$ tensions
• Redshift-space distortion constraints on the neutrino mass and models to alleviate the Hubble tension
• Quantum corrections to symmetron fifth-force profiles