Related papers: Laboratory Physics and Cosmology
The cosmological constant, i.e., the energy density stored in the true vacuum state of all existing fields in the Universe, is the simplest and the most natural possibility to describe the current cosmic acceleration. However, despite its…
Location dependence of physical parameters such as the electromagnetic fine structure constant and Newton's G produce body accelerations which violate universality of free fall rates testable with laboratory and space experiments.…
From the principles of quantum cosmologies we can justify the reason for an inverse-square law for the cosmological constant with no conflict with observations. Although this general expression for $\Lambda$ is well known in the literature,…
A general-relativistic theory of cosmology, the dynamical variables of which are those of Hubble's, namely distances and redshifts, is presented. The theory describes the universe as having a three-phase evolution with a decelerating…
We will look for an implementation of new symmetries in the space-time structure and their cosmological implications. This search will allow us to find a unified vision for electrodynamics and gravitation. We will attempt to develop a…
It has been suggested that by increasing the speed of light during the early universe various cosmological problems of standard big bang cosmology can be overcome, without requiring an inflationary phase. However, we find that as the Planck…
In the Newtonian limit of general relativity force acting on a test mass in a central gravitational field is conventionally defined by the attractive Newtonian gravity (inverse square) term plus a small repulsive cosmological force, which…
At the level of the Planck scale, the spacetime metric has to be considered a quantum variable. Conformal quantum fluctuations of the metric tensor are studied here. They lead to an extra term in the Einstein equations which can be…
Physics invites the idea that space contains energy whose gravitational effect approximates that of Einstein's cosmological constant, Lambda; nowadays the concept is termed dark energy or quintessence. Physics also suggests the dark energy…
For variable gravity models the strength of gravity, as measured by Newton's ``constant'' or the Planck mass, depends on the value of a scalar field, the cosmon. We discuss two simple four-parameter models with a quadratic or constant…
Loop Quantum Cosmology strongly modifies the high-energy dynamics of Friedman-Robertson-Walker models and removes the big-bang singularity. We investigate how LQC corrections affect the stability properties of the Einstein static universe.…
A range of cosmological observations demonstrate an accelerated expansion of the Universe, and the most likely explanation of this phenomenon is a cosmological constant. Given the importance of understanding the underlying physics, it is…
In this paper we point out that the radius R, the age t and the mass M of the observable Universe are proportional to Planck units for length lp, time tp and mass mp.This hypothesis is related, by a cosmological model linking the universal…
In relativity and quantum field theory, the vacuum speed of light is assumed to be constant; the range of validity of general relativity is determined by the Planck length. However, there has been no convincing theory explaining the…
In some cosmological theories with varying constants there are anthropic reasons why the expansion of the universe must not be too {\it close} to flatness or the cosmological constant too close to zero. Using exact theories which…
After a short history of the $\Lambda$-term it is explained why the (effective) cosmological constant is expected to obtain contributions from short-distance-physics, corresponding to an energy scale of at least 100 GeV. The actual tiny…
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…
The homogeneous expansion history H(z) of our universe measures only kinematic variables, but cannot fix the underlying dynamics driving the recent acceleration: cosmographic measurements of the homogeneous universe, are consistent with…
Within the Quantum Field Theory context the idea of a "cosmological constant" (CC) evolving with time looks quite natural as it just reflects the change of the vacuum energy with the typical energy of the universe. In the particular frame…
Phenomenological approaches to quantum gravity try to infer model-independent laws by analyzing thought experiments and combining both quantum, relativistic, and gravitational ingredients. We first review these ingredients -three basic…