Lethal radiation from nearby supernovae helps to explain the small cosmological constant

Abstract

The observed value ${\Lambda }_{\mathrm{obs}}$ of the cosmological constant $\Lambda$ is extremely smaller than theoretical expectations, and the anthropic argument has been proposed as a solution to this problem because galaxies do not form when $\Lambda \gg {\Lambda }_{\mathrm{obs}}$. However, the contemporary galaxy formation theory predicts that stars form even with a high value of $\Lambda /{\Lambda }_{\mathrm{obs}}\sim$ 50, which makes the anthropic argument less persuasive. Here we calculate the probability distribution of $\Lambda$ using a model of cosmological galaxy formation, considering extinction of observers caused by radiation from nearby supernovae. The life survival probability decreases in a large $\Lambda$ universe because of higher stellar density. Using a reasonable rate of lethal supernovae, we find that the mean expectation value of $\Lambda$ can be close to ${\Lambda }_{\mathrm{obs}}$, and hence this effect may be essential to understand the small but nonzero value of $\Lambda$. It is predicted that we are located on the edge of habitable regions about stellar density in the Galaxy, which may be tested by future exoplanet studies.

13 pages, 2 figures. the version accepted to Astrobiology