Dark energy: the absolute electric potential of the universe

TL;DR

This paper proposes that a gravitationally excited unphysical electromagnetic state on cosmological scales acts as a cosmic electric potential, potentially explaining the universe's accelerated expansion as a form of dark energy.

Contribution

It introduces the idea that gauge invariance may break down on large scales, leading to a new electromagnetic state that behaves like a cosmological constant.

Findings

A new electromagnetic polarization state can be gravitationally excited.

This state acts as a homogeneous cosmic electric potential.

It could account for the observed accelerated expansion of the universe.

Abstract

Is there an absolute cosmic electric potential?. The recent discovery of the accelerated expansion of the universe could be indicating that this is certainly the case. In this essay we show that the consistency of the covariant and gauge invariant theory of electromagnetism is truly questionable when considered on cosmological scales. Out of the four components of the electromagnetic field, Maxwell's theory only contains two physical degrees of freedom. However, in the presence of gravity, one of the "unphysical" states cannot be consistently eliminated, thus becoming real. This third polarization state is completely decoupled from charged matter, but can be excited gravitationally thus breaking gauge invariance. On large scales the new state can be seen as a homogeneous cosmic electric potential, whose energy density behaves as a cosmological constant.