Dilaton-induced variations in Planck constant and speed of light: An alternative to Dark Energy

TL;DR

This paper proposes that a dilaton field coupled with matter can cause variations in fundamental constants like Planck's constant and the speed of light, offering an alternative explanation for cosmic acceleration without dark energy.

Contribution

It introduces a novel mechanism where dilaton dynamics induce variable fundamental constants, providing an alternative to dark energy for explaining cosmic acceleration.

Findings

Dilaton dynamics can cause variations in $ abla$ and $c$ in curved spacetime.

The mechanism offers a viable alternative to dark energy for late-time cosmic acceleration.

The approach is based on scale-invariant actions with matter coupling to the dilaton.

Abstract

We reveal a novel aspect of scale-invariant actions that allow matter to couple with a dilaton field: $\,$The dynamics of the dilaton can induce variations in the Planck constant $\hbar$ and speed of light $c$. $\,$Our mechanism for generating variable $\hbar$ and $c$ in $\textit{curved}$ spacetimes via the dilaton offers a viable alternative account for late-time cosmic acceleration, bypassing the need for dark energy.