Is "Dark Energy" a Quantum Vacuum Energy?

Abstract

We review the origins, motivations, and implications for cosmology and black holes, of our proposal that "dark energy" is not a quantum vacuum energy, but rather arises from a Weyl scaling invariant nonderivative component of the gravitational action.

26 pages; invited mini-review for Modern Physics Letters A, to be submitted 12/15. In v2, references added in footnote on p3. Comments welcome

References in corpus (8)

• Large Magellanic Cloud Cepheid Standards Provide a 1% Foundation for the Determination of the Hubble Constant and Stronger Evidence for Physics Beyond LambdaCDM
• Tests for the existence of horizons through gravitational wave echoes
• The 1965 Penrose singularity theorem
• Star Formation Around Super-Massive Black Holes
• Clues to Nuclear Star Cluster Formation from Edge-on Spirals
• Emergent gauge symmetries -- making symmetry as well as breaking it
• The cosmological constant and Higgs mass with emergent gauge symmetries
• Hubble parameter and related formulas for a Weyl scaling invariant dark energy action

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Cosmological constant corrections to the photon sphere and black hole shadow radii
• Running vacuum in QFT in FLRW spacetime: The dynamics of ${\rho }_{\mathrm{vac}}(H)$ from the quantized matter fields
• Are Astrophysical "Black" Holes Leaky?
• A mechanism for a "leaky" black hole to catalyze galaxy formation
• Solar system relativity tests, formulas for light deflection by a central mass, and modification of the lens equation, for a Weyl scaling invariant dark energy
• Does the Vacuum Gravitate on Microscopic Scales? Rydberg Atoms Indicate Probably Not