English

Vacuum energy and dynamical symmetry breaking in curved spacetime

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2012-03-29 v1 Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics High Energy Physics - Theory

Abstract

We argue that calculating vacuum energy requires quantum field theory whose axioms are adapted to curved spacetime. In this context, we suggest that non-zero vacuum energy is connected to dynamical breaking of electroweak symmetry. The observed meV scale can be understood in terms of electroweak physics via a naive estimate. The scenario requires all particle masses to have a dynamical origin. Any Higgs particle has to be a composite, and the origin of vacuum energy might be probed at the LHC.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1203.6259,
  title  = {Vacuum energy and dynamical symmetry breaking in curved spacetime},
  author = {Syksy Rasanen},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1203.6259},
  year   = {2012}
}

Comments

6 pages, written for the Gravity Research Foundation essay competition