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  • Open Access

New Exceptional Effective Field Theories in de Sitter Space from Generalized Energy Conservation

Zong-Zhe Du*

David Stefanyszyn†

  • School of Mathematical Sciences and School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom

  • *Contact author: zongzhe.du@nottingham.ac.uk
  • †Contact author: david.stefanyszyn@nottingham.ac.uk
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 201501 – Published 13 November, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/bsyw-czt5

Abstract

We discover a surprising relationship between exceptional effective field theories (EFTs) in de Sitter space and a notion of generalized energy conservation (GEC) of an S matrix defined in an extended Poincaré patch of four-dimensional de Sitter. By demanding that such an S matrix has support only when the total energies of in and out states are equal, we constrain the coupling constants in theories of self-interacting scalars living in the exceptional series of de Sitter representations. We rediscover the theories of Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) and special Galileon, and when increasing the conformal dimension, we find evidence for new exceptional theories where the four-point scalar self-interactions are uniquely fixed in terms of a single coupling constant. We conjecture that for each integer conformal dimension Δ≥4, there is at least one exceptional EFT that can be entirely fixed by GEC.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 201501– Published 13 November, 2025
  • Received 8 July 2025
  • Accepted 17 October 2025
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