Modulus stabilization and IR-brane kinetic terms in gauge-Higgs unification

Abstract: We discuss the modulus stabilization by the Casimir energy and various effects of IR-brane kinetic terms for the gauge fields in a gauge-Higgs unification model in the warped spacetime, where the Wilson line phase $\theta_H$ is determined as $\theta_H=\pi/2$. We find that the brane kinetic terms with O(1) coefficients are necessary for the modulus stabilization. On the other hand, large brane kinetic terms can deviate 4D gauge couplings from the standard model values and also cause too light Kaluza-Klein (KK) modes. In the parameter region that ensures the modulus stabilization, the KK gluon appears below 1 TeV, which marginally satisfies the experimental bound. The allowed parameter region will be enlarged in a model where a smaller value of $\theta_H$ is realized.