Environment dependent electron mass and the Hubble constant tension
Rance Solomon, Garvita Agarwal, Dejan Stojković
Abstract
A difference in the electron mass at recombination from today's measured value has been shown to relieve the Hubble constant 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's vacuum expectation value depends on its environment's matter density 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.
Topics & Concepts
Yukawa potentialScalar fieldPhysicsElectronHubble's lawCoupling constantObservableRecombinationQuantum electrodynamicsParticle physicsQuantum mechanicsCosmologyChemistryDark energyBiochemistryGeneCosmology and Gravitation TheoriesDark Matter and Cosmic PhenomenaQuantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect