Self-binding energies in AdS

The Positive Binding Conjecture is a proposed formulation of the Weak Gravity Conjecture appropriate to Anti de-Sitter (AdS) space. It proposes that in a consistent gravitational theory, with a U(1) gauge symmetry, there must exist a charged particle with non-negative self-binding energy. In order to formulate this as a constraint on a given effective theory, we calculate the self-binding energy for a charged particle in AdS(4) and AdS(5). In particular, we allow it to couple to an additional scalar field of arbitrary mass. Unlike the flat-space case, even when the scalar field is massive it contributes significantly to the binding energy, and therefore is an essential component of the conjecture. In AdS(5), we give analytic expressions for the self-binding energy for the cases when the scalar field is massless and when it saturates the Breitenlohner-Freedman (BF) bound, and in AdS(4) when it is massless. We show that the massless case reproduces the flat-space expressions in the large AdS radius limit, and that both analytic cases lead to vanishing total self-binding energy for BPS particles in example supersymmetric models. For other masses of the scalar we give numerical expressions for its contribution to the self-binding energy.

Automated summary

The Positive Binding Conjecture proposes that in a consistent gravitational theory in Anti de-Sitter (AdS) space, there must exist a charged particle with non-negative self-binding energy. This conjecture is shown to hold true in AdS(4) and AdS(5), where the coupling to an additional scalar field is considered. The contribution of the scalar field to the binding energy is significant, making it an essential component of the conjecture. Analytic expressions are given for the self-binding energy in certain cases, while numerical expressions are provided for other masses of the scalar field.