Related papers: Physical vacuum and cosmic coincidence problem
We show that if the masses of timelike fields are point-dependent quantities transforming under conformal transformations as $m\rightarrow\Omega^{-1}m$, so the energy density of perfect fluids transforms as $\rho\rightarrow\Omega^{-4}\rho$,…
Assuming the universe is spatially homogeneous on the largest scales lays the foundation for almost all cosmology. This idea is based on the Copernican principle, that we are not at a particularly special place in the universe.…
We suggest a new perspective on the Cosmological Constant Problem by scrutinizing its standard formulation. In classical and quantum mechanics without gravity, there is no definition of the zero point of energy. Furthermore, the Casimir…
The breakdown of conformal symmetry in a conformally invariant scalar-tensor gravitational model is revisited in the cosmological context. Although the old scenario of conformal symmetry breaking in cosmology containing scalar field has…
The cosmological constant problem is the principal obstacle in the attempt to interpret dark energy as the quantum vacuum energy. We suggest that the obstacle can be removed, i.e. that the cosmological constant problem can be resolved by…
Until recently, the physically relevant singularities occurring in FRW cosmologies had traditionally been thought to be limited to the "big bang", and possibly a "big crunch". However, over the last few years, the zoo of cosmological…
Physicists have speculated about the properties of the quantum vacuum for at least 85 years; however, only recently have they understood the quantum vacuum sufficiently well to begin making testable predictions. Specifically, using…
A static non-singular 10-dimensional closed Friedmann universe of Planck size, filled with a perfect fluid with an equation of state with w = -2/3, can arise spontaneously by a quantum fluctuation from nothing in 11-dimensional spacetime. A…
Short review of riddles that lie at the intersection of quantum theory, particle physics and cosmology; dark energy as false vacuum; discussion of a possible detection experiment.
The observational fact that the present values of the densities of dark energy and dark matter are of the same order of magnitude, $\rho_{de0}/\rho_{dm0} \sim \mathcal{O}(1)$, seems to indicate that we are currently living in a very special…
The old cosmological constant problem is to understand why the vacuum energy is so small; the new problem is to understand why it is comparable to the present mass density. Several approaches to these problems are reviewed. Quintessence…
I describe and analyze the various energy scales that emerge from studying the structure of the Standard Models of particle physics and cosmology. Remarkably, save for the scale of the cosmological vacuum energy, all the scales below the…
Associated with the cosmic acceleration are the old and new cosmological constant problems, recently put into the more general context of the dark energy problem. In broad terms, the old problem is related to an unexpected order of…
We study a symmetry, schematically Energy -> - Energy, which suppresses matter contributions to the cosmological constant. The requisite negative energy fluctuations are identified with a "ghost" copy of the Standard Model. Gravity…
The introduction of an interaction for dark energy to the standard cosmology offers a potential solution to the cosmic coincidence problem. We examine the conditions on the dark energy density that must be satisfied for this scenario to be…
An extended framework of gravity, in which the first Friedmann equation is satisfied up to some constant due to violation of gauge invariance, is tested against astrophysical data: Supernovae Type-Ia, Cosmic Chronometers, and Gamma-ray…
In addressing the cosmological constant problem, we propose that the discrepancy between the theoretical and observed values can be ascribed to the inherent uncertainty in the spacetime metric. Mach's principle, which posits that mass…
A natural geometric framework of noncommutative spacetime is symplectic geometry rather than Riemannian geometry. The Darboux theorem in symplectic geometry then admits a novel form of the equivalence principle such that the…
Close to the Planck energy scale, the quantum nature of space-time reveals itself and all forces, including gravity, should be unified so that all interactions correspond to just one underlying symmetry. In the absence of a full quantum…
We consider cosmological models in which a homogeneous isotropic universe is embedded as a 3+1 dimensional surface into a 4+1 dimensional manifold. The size of the extra dimension depends on time. It is small compared to the size of the…