Refining the boundaries of the classical de Sitter landscape

Abstract

We derive highly constraining no-go theorems for classical de Sitter backgrounds of string theory, with parallel sources; this should impact the embedding of cosmological models. We study ten-dimensional vacua of type II supergravities with parallel and backreacted orientifold Op-planes and Dp-branes, on four-dimensional de Sitter space-time times a compact manifold. Vacua for p=3, 7 or 8 are completely excluded, and we obtain tight constraints for p=4, 5, 6. This is achieved through the derivation of an enlightening expression for the four-dimensional Ricci scalar. Further interesting expressions and no-go theorems are obtained. The paper is self-contained so technical aspects, including conventions, might be of more general interest.

Comments: 15 pages + appendices and references; v2: few additions; v3: requirements on the sources and internal geometry clarified, version accepted for publication; v4: erratum added, minor impact on the results