Fermion localization in higher curvature and scalar-tensor theories of gravity

Abstract: It is well known that in a braneworld model, the localization of fermions on lower dimensional submanifold (say a TeV 3-brane) is governed by the gravity in the bulk which also determines the corresponding phenomenology on the brane. Here we consider a five dimensional warped spacetime where the bulk geometry is governed by higher curvature like F(R) gravity. In such a scenario, we explore the role of higher curvature terms on the localization of bulk fermions which in turn determines the effective radion-fermion coupling on the brane. Our result reveals that for appropriate choices of the higher curvature parameter, the profiles of the massless chiral modes of the fermions may get localized near TeV brane while that for massive Kaluza-Klein (KK) fermions localize towards the Planck brane. We also explore these features in the dual scalar-tensor model by appropriate transformations. The localization property turns out to be identical in both the models. This rules out the possibility of any signature of massive KK fermions in TeV scale collider experiments due to higher curvature gravity effects.