Gravity effects of the quantum vacuum. Dark energy and dark matter
Abstract
The stress-energy tensor of the quantum vacuum is studied for the particular case of quantum electrodynamics (QED), that is a fictituous universe where only the electromagnetic and the electron-positron fields exist. The integrals involved are ultraviolet divergent but it is suggested that a natural cut-off may exist. It is shown that, in spite of the fact that the stress-energy tensor of the electromagnetic field alone is traceless (i.e the pressure P equals 1/3 the energy density u), the total QED tensor is proportional to the metric tensor to a good approximation (i. e. P = -u). It is proposed that there is a cosmological constant in Einstein equation that exactly balances the stress-energy of the vacuum. It is shown that vacuum fluctuations give rise to a modified spacetime metric able to explain dark energy. Particular excitations of the vacuum are studied that might explain dark matter.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1505.02295,
title = {Gravity effects of the quantum vacuum. Dark energy and dark matter},
author = {Emilio Santos},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1505.02295},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
39 pages