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Moduli space curvature and the weak gravity conjecture

Alberto Castellano*

Fernando Marchesano, Luca Melotti, and Lorenzo Paoloni§

  • Enrico Fermi Institute & Kadanoff Center for Theoretical Physics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA and Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA

  • *Contact author: acastellano@uchicago.edu
  • Contact author: fernando.marchesano@csic.es
  • Contact author: luca.melotti@ift.csic.es
  • §Contact author: lorenzo.paoloni@csic.es

Phys. Rev. D 114, 026022 – Published 16 July, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/4tf1-c9l7

Abstract

We unveil a remarkable interplay between rigid field theories (RFTs), charge-to-mass ratios γ, and scalar curvature divergences Rdiv in the vector multiplet moduli space of 4D N=2 supergravities, obtained upon compactifying type II string theory on Calabi–Yau threefolds. We show that the condition to obtain an RFT that decouples from gravity implies a divergence in the γ of (would-be) BPS particles charged under the rigid theory and vice-versa. For weak coupling limits, where the scalar curvature diverges, we argue that such BPS particles exist and that Rdivγ2, implying that all these divergences are a consequence of RFT limits. More precisely, along geodesics we find that Rdiv(Λwgc/Λg)2, where ΛwgcgrigidMPl is the RFT cutoff estimate of the weak gravity conjecture and Λg=grigid2ΛRFT the electrostatic energy integrated up to its actual cutoff ΛRFT.

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