Related papers: Some Dynamical Effects of the Cosmological Constan…
Recent astrophysical observations seem to indicate that the cosmological constant is small but nonzero and positive. The old cosmological constant problem asks why it is so small; we must now ask, in addition, why it is nonzero (and is in…
It is argued that quantum states of geometry, like those of particles, should be coherent on light cones of any size. An exact classical solution, the gravitational shock wave of a relativistic point particle, is used to estimate…
We discuss a numerical relation between the cosmological constant and the vacuum energy arising from the Casimir effect in extra dimensions
We analyse quantum--kinetic effects in the early Universe. We show that quantum corrections to the Vlasov equation give rise to a dynamical variation of the gravitational constant. The value of the gravitational constant at the Grand…
After reviewing the cosmological constant problem - why is Lambda not huge? - I outline the two basic approaches that had emerged by the late 1980s, and note that each made a clear prediction. Precision cosmological experiments now indicate…
A modified-gravity theory is considered with a four-form field strength F, a variable gravitational coupling parameter G(F), and a standard matter action. This theory provides a concrete realization of the general vacuum variable q as the…
In this paper, we explore an idea of having Newton's constant change its value depending on the curvature scale involved. Such modification leads to a particular scalar-tensor gravity theory, with the Lagrangian derived from renormalization…
The cosmological constant problem is examined under the assumption that the extrinsic curvature of the space-time contributes to the vacuum. A compensation mechanism based on a variable cosmological term is proposed. Under a suitable…
The Schr\"odinger-Newton equation is a proposed model to explain the localization of macroscopic particles by suppressing quantum dispersion with the particle's own gravitational attraction. On cosmic scales, however, dark energy also acts…
The physical Hamiltonian of a gravity-matter system depends on the choice of time, with the vacuum naturally identified as its ground state. We study the expanding universe with scalar field in the volume time gauge. We show that the vacuum…
We consider a linearized, effective quantum theory of gravitation in which gravity weakens at energies higher than ~10^-3 eV in order to accommodate the apparent smallness of the cosmological constant. Such a theory predicts departures from…
The idea that the vacuum energy density $\rho_{\Lambda}$ could be time dependent is a most reasonable one in the expanding Universe; in fact, much more reasonable than just a rigid cosmological constant for the entire cosmic history. Being…
Newton's inverse-square law of universal gravitation assumes constant mass. But mass increases with speed and perhaps with gravity. By SR, mass is increased over the rest mass by gamma. Rest mass is here postulated to increase under…
We consider here the effects of a non-vanishing cosmological term on the final fate of a spherical inhomogeneous collapsing dust cloud. It is shown that depending on the nature of the initial data from which the collapse evolves, and for a…
It is shown that the cosmological constant links the roots both of General Relativity and Newtonian gravity via the general function satisfying Newton's theorem according to which the gravitating sphere acts as a point mass situated in its…
Recently there have been claims on model-independent evidence of dynamical dark energy. Herein we consider a fairly general class of cosmological models with a time-evolving cosmological term of the form $\Lambda(H)=C_0+C_H H^2+C_{\dot{H}}…
The self-gravitating gas in the presence of a positive cosmological constant Lambda is studied in thermal equilibrium by Monte Carlo simulations and by the mean field approach. We find excellent agreement between both approaches already for…
If quantum fields exist in extra compact dimensions, they will give rise to a quantum vacuum or Casimir energy. That vacuum energy will manifest itself as a cosmological constant. The fact that supernova and cosmic microwave background data…
In this paper, time variable cosmological constant, dubbed {\it age cosmological constant}, is investigated motivated by the fact: any cosmological length scale and time scale can introduce a cosmological constant or vacuum energy density…
Some time ago we have suggested that positive vacuum energy exhibits a finite quantum break time, which can be a signal that a positive cosmological constant is inconsistent. From the requirement that Universe never undergoes through…