Mass of the dilaton and the cosmological constant

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether the dilaton, a scalar field in gravity theories, can have a finite mass while still supporting a decaying cosmological constant, through a detailed quantum analysis.

Contribution

It provides a detailed field-theoretical quantization analysis showing the conditions under which the dilaton can have a finite mass compatible with a decaying cosmological constant.

Findings

Dilaton can have a finite mass without contradicting a decaying cosmological constant.

Quantum analysis supports the suppression of vacuum energy with a massive dilaton.

The results reconcile local scalar-mediated forces with global cosmological behavior.

Abstract

One might raise a question if the gravitational scalar field (dilaton) mediates a finite-range force between local objects still behaving globally as being massless to implement the scenario of a decaying cosmological constant. We offer a non-negative reply by a detailed analysis of the field-theoretical quantization procedure in relation to the observationally required suppression of the vacuum-energy.