Phenomenology of Gravitational Aether as a solution to the Old Cosmological Constant Problem

TL;DR

This paper explores a modified gravity theory involving Gravitational Aether to address the longstanding cosmological constant problem, predicting deviations from General Relativity that align with some cosmological observations and experimental tests.

Contribution

It analyzes classical predictions of the Gravitational Aether theory, demonstrating its potential to resolve the old cosmological constant problem while remaining consistent with key tests of gravity.

Findings

Radiation gravitational constant is 33% larger than for matter.

PPN parameters are mostly standard except for pressure coupling.

Gravitomagnetic effect predicted to be 33% larger than GR, consistent with current limits.

Abstract

One of the deepest and most long-standing mysteries in physics has been the huge discrepancy between the observed vacuum density and our expectations from theories of high energy physics, which has been dubbed the Old Cosmological Constant problem. One proposal to address this puzzle at the semi-classical level is to decouple quantum vacuum from space-time geometry via a modification of gravity that includes an incompressible fluid, known as Gravitational Aether. In this paper, we discuss classical predictions of this theory along with its compatibility with cosmological and experimental tests of gravity. We argue that deviations from General Relativity (GR) in this theory are sourced by pressure or vorticity. In particular, the theory predicts that the gravitational constant for radiation is 33% larger than that of non-relativistic matter, which is preferred by (most) cosmic microwave background (CMB), Lyman-Alpha forest, and Lithium-7 primordial abundance observations, while being consistent with other cosmological tests at ~2-sigma level. It is further shown that all Parametrized Post-Newtonian (PPN) parameters have the standard GR values aside from the anomalous coupling to pressure, which has not been directly measured. A more subtle prediction of this model (assuming irrotational aether) is that the (intrinsic) gravitomagnetic effect is 33% larger than GR prediction. This is consistent with current limits from LAGEOS and Gravity Probe B at ~2-sigma level.