English

A New Solution of The Cosmological Constant Problems

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2011-03-21 v3 Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics High Energy Physics - Theory

Abstract

We extend the usual gravitational action principle by promoting the bare cosmological constant (CC) from a parameter to a field which can take many possible values. Variation leads to a new integral constraint equation which determines the classical value of the effective CC that dominates the wave function of the universe. In a realistic cosmological model, the expected value of the effective CC, is calculated from measurable quantities to be O(t_U), as observed, where t_U is the present age of the universe in Planck units,. Any application of our model produces a falsifiable prediction for Λ\Lambda in terms of other measurable quantities. This leads to a specific falsifiable prediction for the observed spatial curvature parameter of Omega_k0=-0.0055. Our testable proposal requires no fine tunings or extra dark-energy fields but does suggest a new view of time and cosmological evolution.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1007.3086,
  title  = {A New Solution of The Cosmological Constant Problems},
  author = {John D. Barrow and Douglas J. Shaw},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1007.3086},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

5 pages; v3: version accepted by Phys. Rev. Lett

R2 v1 2026-06-21T15:49:39.375Z