A nonlocal approach to the cosmological constant problem

Carroll, Sean M.; Remmen, Grant N.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.95.123504

Title: A nonlocal approach to the cosmological constant problem

Abstract

We construct a model in which the cosmological constant is canceled from the gravitational equations of motion. Our model relies on two key ingredients: a nonlocal constraint on the action, which forces the spacetime average of the Lagrangian density to vanish, and a dynamical way for this condition to be satisfied classically with arbitrary matter content. We implement the former condition with a spatially constant Lagrange multiplier associated with the volume form and the latter by including a free four-form gauge field strength in the action. These two features are enough to remove the cosmological constant from the Einstein equation. The model is consistent with all cosmological and experimental bounds on modification of gravity and allows for both cosmic inflation and the present epoch of acceleration.

Authors:

Carroll, Sean M. ^[1]; Remmen, Grant N. ^[1]

California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics

Publication Date:: Wed Jun 07 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Research Org.:: California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP); Foundational Questions Institute; National Science Foundation (NSF)

OSTI Identifier:: 1599605

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1361933

Report Number(s):: CALT-TH-2017-016
Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010; PRVDAQ; TRN: US2103489

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0011632; DGE-1144469

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Physical Review D

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 95; Journal Issue: 12; Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

Citation Formats


                    Carroll, Sean M., and Remmen, Grant N. A nonlocal approach to the cosmological constant problem.  United States: N. p., 2017. 
Web.  doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.95.123504.

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                    Carroll, Sean M., & Remmen, Grant N. A nonlocal approach to the cosmological constant problem.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.95.123504

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                    Carroll, Sean M., and Remmen, Grant N. Wed .  
"A nonlocal approach to the cosmological constant problem".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.95.123504.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1599605.

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@article{osti_1599605,

  title        = {A nonlocal approach to the cosmological constant problem},

  author       = {Carroll, Sean M. and Remmen, Grant N.},

  abstractNote = {We construct a model in which the cosmological constant is canceled from the gravitational equations of motion. Our model relies on two key ingredients: a nonlocal constraint on the action, which forces the spacetime average of the Lagrangian density to vanish, and a dynamical way for this condition to be satisfied classically with arbitrary matter content. We implement the former condition with a spatially constant Lagrange multiplier associated with the volume form and the latter by including a free four-form gauge field strength in the action. These two features are enough to remove the cosmological constant from the Einstein equation. The model is consistent with all cosmological and experimental bounds on modification of gravity and allows for both cosmic inflation and the present epoch of acceleration.},

  doi          = {10.1103/PhysRevD.95.123504},

  journal      = {Physical Review D},

  number       = 12,

  volume       = 95,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Jun 07 00:00:00 EDT 2017},

  month        = {Wed Jun 07 00:00:00 EDT 2017}

}

Copy to clipboard

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Similar Records

Title: A nonlocal approach to the cosmological constant problem

Abstract

Citation Formats

Uses of zeta regularization in QFT with boundary conditions: a cosmo-topological Casimir effect journal, May 2006

The cosmological constant and general covariance journal, May 1989

Anthropic Bound on the Cosmological Constant journal, November 1987

Casimir effect in de Sitter and anti–de Sitter braneworlds journal, March 2003

Sequestering the Standard Model Vacuum Energy journal, March 2014

The cosmological constant is probably zero journal, January 1984

Gauge fixing and the cosmological constant journal, June 1989

Neutralization of the cosmological constant by membrane creation journal, February 1988

Dynamical Solution to the Problem of a Small Cosmological Constant and Late-Time Cosmic Acceleration journal, November 2000

Quantization of four-form fluxes and dynamical neutralization of the cosmological constant journal, May 2000

The exchange of massless spin-two particles journal, November 1982

The cosmological constant problem journal, January 1989

Saltatory relaxation of the cosmological constant journal, May 2001

Fat gravitons, the cosmological constant and submillimeter tests journal, February 2004

On the trace-free Einstein equations as a viable alternative to general relativity journal, October 2011

Four-forms and the vanishing of the cosmological constant journal, May 1990

Dynamical neutralization of the cosmological constant journal, September 1987

Vacuum Energy Sequestering and Graviton Loops journal, February 2017

Universe multiplication and the cosmological constant problem journal, January 1988

A wormhole catastrophe journal, January 1989

A mechanism for reducing the value of the cosmological constant journal, January 1985

Thermodynamics of Spacetime: The Einstein Equation of State journal, August 1995

Loss of incoherence and determination of coupling constants in quantum gravity journal, October 1988

The phase of the sum over spheres journal, March 1989

Can we live in a self-tuning universe? journal, November 2001

Observational Evidence from Supernovae for an Accelerating Universe and a Cosmological Constant journal, September 1998

Quantum inequivalence of different field representations journal, July 1980

Baby universe, third quantization and the cosmological constant journal, July 1989

Zero cosmological constant from minimum action journal, December 1983

Duality-symmetric string theory and the cosmological-constant problem journal, February 1991

Black holes as red herrings: Topological fluctuations and the loss of quantum coherence journal, October 1988

Manifestly Local Theory of Vacuum Energy Sequestering journal, February 2016

Measurements of Ω and Λ from 42 High‐Redshift Supernovae journal, June 1999

The cosmological constant journal, December 2007

Why there is nothing rather than something: A theory of the cosmological constant journal, December 1988

Vacuum energy sequestering: The framework and its cosmological consequences journal, October 2014

The Cosmological Constant journal, September 1992

Open inflation, the four form and the cosmological constant journal, July 1998

The big constant out, the small constant in journal, December 2014

The cosmological constant is possibly zero, but the proof is probably wrong journal, August 1989

Uses of zeta regularization in QFT with boundary conditions: a cosmo-topological Casimir effect
journal, May 2006

The cosmological constant and general covariance
journal, May 1989

Anthropic Bound on the Cosmological Constant
journal, November 1987

Casimir effect in de Sitter and anti–de Sitter braneworlds
journal, March 2003

Sequestering the Standard Model Vacuum Energy
journal, March 2014

The cosmological constant is probably zero
journal, January 1984

Gauge fixing and the cosmological constant
journal, June 1989

Neutralization of the cosmological constant by membrane creation
journal, February 1988

Dynamical Solution to the Problem of a Small Cosmological Constant and Late-Time Cosmic Acceleration
journal, November 2000

Quantization of four-form fluxes and dynamical neutralization of the cosmological constant
journal, May 2000

The exchange of massless spin-two particles
journal, November 1982

The cosmological constant problem
journal, January 1989

Saltatory relaxation of the cosmological constant
journal, May 2001

Fat gravitons, the cosmological constant and submillimeter tests
journal, February 2004

On the trace-free Einstein equations as a viable alternative to general relativity
journal, October 2011

Four-forms and the vanishing of the cosmological constant
journal, May 1990

Dynamical neutralization of the cosmological constant
journal, September 1987

Vacuum Energy Sequestering and Graviton Loops
journal, February 2017

Universe multiplication and the cosmological constant problem
journal, January 1988

A wormhole catastrophe
journal, January 1989

A mechanism for reducing the value of the cosmological constant
journal, January 1985

Thermodynamics of Spacetime: The Einstein Equation of State
journal, August 1995

Loss of incoherence and determination of coupling constants in quantum gravity
journal, October 1988

The phase of the sum over spheres
journal, March 1989

Can we live in a self-tuning universe?
journal, November 2001

Observational Evidence from Supernovae for an Accelerating Universe and a Cosmological Constant
journal, September 1998

Quantum inequivalence of different field representations
journal, July 1980

Baby universe, third quantization and the cosmological constant
journal, July 1989

Zero cosmological constant from minimum action
journal, December 1983

Duality-symmetric string theory and the cosmological-constant problem
journal, February 1991

Black holes as red herrings: Topological fluctuations and the loss of quantum coherence
journal, October 1988

Manifestly Local Theory of Vacuum Energy Sequestering
journal, February 2016

Measurements of Ω and Λ from 42 High‐Redshift Supernovae
journal, June 1999

The cosmological constant
journal, December 2007

Why there is nothing rather than something: A theory of the cosmological constant
journal, December 1988

Vacuum energy sequestering: The framework and its cosmological consequences
journal, October 2014

The Cosmological Constant
journal, September 1992

Open inflation, the four form and the cosmological constant
journal, July 1998

The big constant out, the small constant in
journal, December 2014

The cosmological constant is possibly zero, but the proof is probably wrong
journal, August 1989