Avoided Deconfinement in Randall-Sundrum Models

Understand

We study first order phase transitions in Randall-Sundrum models in the early universe dual to confinement in large-$N$ gauge theories.

• The transition rate to the confined phase is suppressed by a factor $\exp(-N^2)$, and may not complete for $N \gg 1$, instead leading to an eternally inflating phase.
• To avoid this fate, the resulting constraint on $N$ makes the RS effective field theory only marginally under control.
• We present a mechanism where the IR brane remains stabilized at very high temperature, so that the theory stays in the confined phase at all times after inflation and reheating.