Possible solution to the cosmological-constant problem

Journal Article · Mon Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Physical Review Letters; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.65.1972· OSTI ID:6313171

Ng, Y J; van Dam, H ^[1]

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1. Institute of Field Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (USA)

Classically, the unimodular theory of gravity with a constrained determinant {ital g}{sub {mu}{nu}} is equivalent to general relativity augmented by an arbitrary cosmological constant {Lambda}, which arises as an integration constant. At the quantum level we argue that an integration over {Lambda} should be included in the Euclidean path integral for the vacuum functional. The fully renormalized {Lambda}=0 overwhelmingly dominates all other contributions yielding a zero observed cosmological constant. While the technical part of our argument is similar to that of the wormhole'' argument, the two approaches are logically different.

• DOE Contract Number: FG05-85ER40219
• OSTI ID: 6313171
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters; (USA), Vol. 65:16; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
GRAVITATION
COSMOLOGICAL CONSTANT
ACTION INTEGRAL
LIMITING VALUES
PARTITION FUNCTIONS
QUANTUM MECHANICS
FUNCTIONS
INTEGRALS
MECHANICS
645400* - High Energy Physics- Field Theory
657003 - Theoretical & Mathematical Physics- Relativity & Gravitation