Scalar Gravity and Higgs Mechanism

TL;DR

This paper introduces a generalized scalar-tensor gravity theory with a complex scalar field coupling to curvature, integrating the Higgs mechanism into cosmology and proposing a dynamic vacuum energy that addresses the cosmological constant problem.

Contribution

It proposes a new gravity model with a complex scalar field that naturally incorporates the Higgs mechanism and predicts a running mass scale consistent with experiments.

Findings

A dynamic vacuum energy density that varies with the scalar field.

A model predicting a running mass scale for fundamental particles.

Compatibility of the model with existing experimental constraints.

Abstract

The role that the auxiliary scalar field $\phi$ played in Brans-Dicke cosmology is discussed. If a constant vacuum energy is assumed to be the origin of dark energy, then the corresponding density parameter would be a quantity varying with $\phi$; and almost all of the fundamental components of our universe can be unified into the dynamical equation for $\phi$. As a generalization of Brans-Dicke theory, we propose a new gravity theory with a complex scalar field $\phi$ which is coupled to the cosmological curvature scalar. Through such a coupling, the Higgs mechanism is naturally incorporated into the evolution of the universe, and a running density of the field vacuum energy is obtained which may release the particle standard model from the rigorous cosmological constant problem in some sense. Our model predicts a running mass scale of the fundamental particles in which the gauge symmetry breaks spontaneously. The running speed of the mass scale in our case could survive all existing experiments.