The contribution of the quantum vacuum to the cosmological constant is zero: proof that vacuum energy does not gravitate

G. B. Mainland; Bernard Mulligan

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arXiv · 2005.07017

The contribution of the quantum vacuum to the cosmological constant is zero: proof that vacuum energy does not gravitate

G. B. Mainland·Bernard Mulligan

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Abstract

The consensus among many theoretical physicists is that the calculated contribution of the quantum vacuum to the total energy density of the universe is approximately $10^{121}$ times the observed energy density. This is thought to be one of the worst theoretical predictions of all time. However, as shown here, this immense vacuum energy cannot in and of itself exert forces on normal matter. As a result the huge vacuum energy density predicted by quantum field theory does not contribute to the ordinary energy density of the universe, is not a source for gravitational fields, and, as a result, does not contribute to the value of the cosmological constant.

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G. B. Mainland, Bernard Mulligan. 2020-05-09. The contribution of the quantum vacuum to the cosmological constant is zero: proof that vacuum energy does not gravitate. https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.07017

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