A Machian definition of particle mass in higher-dimensional gravity

We propose a new higher-dimensional mechanism for solving the Hierarchy Problem. The Weak scale is generated from a large scale of order the Planck scale through an exponential hierarchy. However, this exponential arises not from gauge interactions but from the background metric (which is a slice of AdS_5 spacetime). This mechanism relies on the existence of only a single additional dimension. We demonstrate a simple explicit example of this mechanism with two three-branes, o...

The main results are reviewed of relating the scalar field of noncompactified Kaluza-Klein gravity to the Higgs field of particle physics. The embedding of 4D spacetime in a 5D manifold can result in a variable cosmological 'constant' and particle masses tiny compared to the Planck value.

The current status of Mach's principle is discussed within the context of general relativity. The inertial properties of a particle are determined by its mass and spin, since these characterize the irreducible unitary representations of the inhomogeneous Lorentz group. The origin of the inertia of mass and intrinsic spin are discussed and the inertia of intrinsic spin is studied via the coupling of intrinsic spin with rotation. The implications of spin-rotation coupling and t...

We extend the classical general relativistic theory of measurement to include the possibility of existence of higher dimensions. The intrusion of these dimensions in the spacetime interval implies that the inertial mass of a particle in general varies along its worldline if the observations are analyzed assuming the existence of only the four spacetime dimensions. The variations of mass and spin are explored in a simple 5D Kaluza-Klein model.

A five-dimensional scenario with a non compact extra dimension of infinite extent is studied, in which a single three-brane is affected by small Gaussian fluctuations in the extra dimension. The average magnitude of the fluctuations is of order of the electro-weak length scale ($\sigma\sim m_{EW}^{-1}$). The model provides an stochastic approach to gravity that accounts for an alternative resolution of the mass hierarchy problem. The cosmological constant problem can be suita...

We reformulate an approach fist given by Barbour and Bertotti (BB) for implementing Mach's principle for nonrelativistic particles. This reformulation can deal with arbitrary symmetry groups and finite group elements. Applying these techniques to U(1) and SU(N) invariant scalar field theories, we show that BB's proposal is nearly equivalent to defining a covariant derivative using a dynamical connection. We then propose a modified version of the BB method which implements Mac...

We derive a geometrical approach to produce the mass of particles that could be suitably tested at LHC. Starting from a 5D unification scheme, we show that all the known interactions could be suitably deduced as an induced symmetry breaking of the non-unitary GL(4)-group of diffeomorphisms. The deformations inducing such a breaking act as vector bosons that, depending on the gravitational mass states, can assume the role of interaction bosons like gluons, electroweak bosons o...

The reduced 5D Heterotic M-theory has a deeply rich structure. For every Calabi-yau compactification, there exists a gravitational hypermultiplet $(g_{\mu\nu},\psi_{\mu},A_{\mu})$ and a universal hypermultiplet. In this paper we derive the formulae for the masses of the scalar sector of the universal hypermultiplet $(V,\sigma,\zeta,\bar{\zeta})$ in the framework of 5D Heterotic M-theory.

This paper has been withdrawn by the authors.

The basic quasi-Schwarzschild 5D objects known as solitons have a long history, which is reviewed. Then some material is added, leading to the inference that a soliton is a singularity in the geometry which represents a bivalent source of gravitational and scalar mass.