Naturalness of exponential cosmon potentials and the cosmological constant problem

Jan, 2008
19 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.D 77 (2008) 103505
e-Print:

Citations per year

200820122016202020240123456
Abstract: (arXiv)
We discuss the naturalness of exponential potentials for quintessence, showing that the resulting almost flat direction in the space of scalar fields, as well as the small time dependent cosmon mass, can be related to an anomalous dilatation symmetry. We argue that the physics of the cosmological constant is Planck scale physics, and comment on the role of quantum fluctuations. We present three higher dimensional scenarios how a runaway of the ``cosmological constant'' to zero can be combined with stable particle physics properties, leading at most to small variations of the ``fundamental couplings''.
  • 98.80.Cq
  • 98.80.-k
  • quintessence: potential
  • fluctuation: quantum
  • field theory: scalar
  • fundamental constant: time dependence
  • dark energy
  • cosmological constant
  • Goldstone particle: mass
  • cosmon: mass