Brans-Dicke gravity: from Higgs physics to (dynamical) dark energy

TL;DR

This paper explores how generalized Brans-Dicke theories of gravity can connect Higgs physics to dynamical dark energy, providing a framework that addresses the cosmological constant problem and mimics observed dark energy behavior.

Contribution

It demonstrates that Higgs potential structures can be derived from solutions of Brans-Dicke field equations, linking particle physics to cosmological dark energy phenomena.

Findings

Higgs potential can be motivated from Brans-Dicke solutions

Cosmological vacuum energy remains harmless in this framework

Late-time universe mimics dynamical dark energy like quintessence

Abstract

The Higgs mechanism is one of the central pieces of the Standard Model of electroweak interactions and thanks to it we can generate the masses of the elementary particles. Its fundamental origin is nonetheless unknown. Furthermore, in order to preserve renormalizability we have to break the gauge symmetry spontaneously, what leads to a huge induced cosmological constant incompatible with observations. It turns out that in the context of generalized Brans-Dicke theories of gravity the Higgs potential structure can be motivated from solutions of the field equations which carry harmless cosmological vacuum energy. In addition, the late time cosmic evolution effectively appears like an universe filled with mildly evolving dynamical dark energy mimicking quintessence or phantom dark energy.