Kaluza-Klein Theories, Branes and Cosmology
Kaluza-Klein theories are an elegant and highly predictive framework for unified theories. We relate the singularities appearing in the internal spaces of these models to braneworld scenarios, finding interesting connections between the two points of view. We discuss chiral fermion modes which are determined by the structure of the singularities. In order to approach the Cosmological Constant Problem and the related dark energy discussion in this context, we study the cosmology of a toy model, six-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell theory. The time independence of the deficit angle branes is proven. Some special cases are solved, but for a solution of the most general case, many difficulties have still to be overcome. These difficulties are explained and a strategy for their possible solution is developed.
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