http://arxiv.org/abs/1809.08277
Perhaps the expectations of quantum field theory are right, and the universe really does have a very large cosmological constant. I show that if one does not assume homogeneity or an arrow of time at the Planck scale, a large class of initial data for general relativity exhibits expansions and shears that are enormous at small scales, but quickly average to zero macroscopically. For an infinite subset of this data, the averaged spatial curvature is also small, and has a vanishing time derivative. Subsequent evolution is more complex, but I argue that quantum fluctuations should preserve these properties. The resulting picture is a version of Wheeler’s “spacetime foam,” in which the cosmological constant produces high curvature at the Planck scale but is hidden at observable scales.
S. Carlip
Tue, 25 Sep 18
83/88
Comments: 9 pages
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