Vacuum energy and Universe in special relativity

TL;DR

This paper explores the concept of vacuum energy within special relativity, analyzing its response to quantum vacuum perturbations and its relation to matter energy density, independent of gravitational effects.

Contribution

It investigates vacuum energy behavior in special relativity, highlighting differences from general relativity when gravity is absent (G=0).

Findings

Vacuum energy density is comparable to matter energy density.

Vacuum energy dependence on matter's equation of state is G-independent.

Distinct results for vacuum energy in gravity-free (G=0) scenarios.

Abstract

The problem of cosmological constant and vacuum energy is usually thought of as the subject of general relativity. However, the vacuum energy is important for the Universe even in the absence of gravity, i.e. in the case when the Newton constant G is exactly zero, G=0. We discuss the response of the vacuum energy to the perturbations of the quantum vacuum in special relativity, and find that as in general relativity the vacuum energy density is on the order of the energy density of matter. In general relativity, the dependence of the vacuum energy on the equation of state of matter does not contain G, and thus is valid in the limit when G tends to zero. However, the result obtained for the vacuum energy in the world without gravity, i.e. when G=0 exactly, is different.