2000/12/28 by Svend Erik Rugh, Henrik Zinkernagel · 3 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #hep-th #gr-qc #quant-ph
published as Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, vol. 33 (2002), 663-705 · 46 pages, no figures. Submitted to Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics
arxiv created 2000/12/28 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30
The cosmological constant problem arises at the intersection between general relativity and quantum field theory, and is regarded as a fundamental problem in modern physics. In this paper we describe the historical and conceptual origin of the cosmological constant problem which is intimately connected to the vacuum concept in quantum field theory. We critically discuss how the problem rests on the notion of physical real vacuum energy, and which relations between general relativity and quantum field theory are assumed in order to make the problem well-defined.