The vacuum energy from a new perspective Academic Article

abstract

• It is commonly believed that the vacuum energy problem points to the need for (1) a radically new formulation of gravitational physics and (2) a new principle which forces the vacuum stress-energy tensor (as measured by gravity) to be nearly zero. Here we point out that a new fundamental theory contains both features: (1) In this theory the vierbein is interpreted as the "superfluid velocity" associated with the order parameter for a GUT-scale Higgs condensate. (2) The vacuum stress-energy tensor is exactly zero in the vacuum state, because the action is extremalized with respect to variations in the order parameter. With inhomogeneously-distributed matter present, the vacuum stress-energy tensor is shifted away from zero.

authors

• Allen, Roland

published proceedings

• RELATIVISTIC ASTROPHYSICS

author list (cited authors)

• Mondragon, A. R., & Allen, R. E.

citation count

• 0

complete list of authors

• Mondragon, AR||Allen, RE

publication date

• October 2001

publisher

• AIP  Publisher

published in

• AIP Conference Proceedings  Journal

keywords

• Astro-ph

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1063/1.1419576

start page

• 331

end page

• 333

volume

• 586

issue

• 1

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1419576

user-defined tag

• 7 Affordable and Clean Energy