Resolving The Vacuum Energy Density Crisis
Abstract: The theoretical vacuum energy density estimated on the basis of the standard model of particle physics and very general quantum assumptions is 59 to 123 orders of magnitude larger than the measured vacuum energy density for the observable universe which is determined on the basis of the standard model of cosmology and empirical data. This enormous disparity between the expectations of two of our most widely accepted theoretical frameworks demands a credible and self-consistent explanation, and yet even after decades of sporadic effort a generally accepted resolution of this crisis has not surfaced. Very recently, however, a discrete self-similar cosmological paradigm based on the fundamental principle of discrete scale invariance has been found to offer a rationale for reducing the vacuum energy density disparity by at least 115 orders of magnitude, and possibly to eliminate the vacuum energy density crisis entirely.
Key Words: vacuum energy density; Planck scale; fractal cosmology; gravitation
- Introduction
The vacuum energy density crisis is perhaps the most dramatic manifestation of the fact that physics is still very much a “divided house”, with quantum physics ruling the microcosm and general relativity dominating the macrocosm. Within their respective domains, quantum physics and general relativity are thought to be on very strong empirical and theoretical footing, so it is very disconcerting to find that these two foundational frameworks strongly contradict each other when they meet at the “intersection” of the vacuum energy density. Nobelist Frank Wilczek (2001) has characterized the situation as follows. “We do not understand the disparity. In my opinion, it is the biggest and most profound gap in our current understanding of the physical world. … [The solution to the problem] might require inventing entirely new ideas, and abandoning old ones we thought to be well-established. … Since vacuum energy density is central to both fundamental physics and cosmology, and yet poorly understood, experimental research into its nature must be regarded as a top priority for physical science.” It remains as much of a problem in 2017 as it did in 2001.
The vacuum energy density (VED) is generally viewed as a fundamental property of the cosmos whose magnitude should not depend upon whether we choose subatomic, astronomical or cosmological methods to assess its value. As Wilczek notes, the fact that we get such wildly differing values when using subatomic and cosmological analyses means that there must be a serious flaw in the underlying assumptions involved in one or both of those analyses. This is an enigma that pertains to the entire discipline of physics. Since astronomical and astrophysical observations and analyses play a major role in arriving at the most consistent empirically-based determinations of the vacuum energy density, the VED crisis is highly relevant to astrophysics.
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If you would like read the full published paper entitled “Towards A Resolution Of The Vacuum Energy Density Crisis”, please click on the following link: https://arxiv.org/pdf/0901.3381.pdf . This paper explains why the particle physics estimate of the VED is preposterous, and how the discrete self-similar scaling of Discrete Scale Relativity offers a credible resolution for this long-standing crisis at the heart of theoretical physics.