Lorentz invariance and the zero-point stress-energy tensor
Abstract
Some 65 years ago (1951) Wolfgang Pauli noted that the net zero-point energy density could be set to zero by a carefully fine-tuned cancellation between bosons and fermions. In the current article I will argue in a slightly different direction: The zero-point energy density is only one component of the zero-point stress energy tensor, and it is this tensor quantity that is in many ways the more fundamental object of interest. I shall demonstrate that Lorentz invariance of the zero-point stress energy tensor implies finiteness of the zero-point stress energy tensor, and vice versa. Under certain circumstances, (in particular, but not limited to, the finite QFTs), Pauli's cancellation mechanism will survive the introduction of particle interactions. I shall then relate the discussion to BSM physics, to the cosmological constant, and to Sakharov-style induced gravity.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1610.07264,
title = {Lorentz invariance and the zero-point stress-energy tensor},
author = {Matt Visser},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1610.07264},
year = {2018}
}
Comments
V1: 11 pages; V2: 11 pages, 5 references added; V3: 12 pages, 3 references added; V4: 16 pages, 7 references, extra discussion. V5: 18 pages; new sections added on the renormalization group flow of the Pauli sum rules and net zero point energy. V6: 1 reference added. V7: now 24 pages, more discussion, many references added. Closely corresponds to published version