Renormalization-group running cosmologies and the generalized second law

TL;DR

This paper investigates the thermodynamic implications of a running cosmological constant influenced by quantum effects, revealing constraints on the underlying theory and consistency with holographic principles.

Contribution

It introduces a framework linking RG-driven CC running with thermodynamics and constrains the mass spectrum of quantum fields involved.

Findings

Quantum effects favor trans-Planckian mass fields for CC running

The model aligns with the generalized second law of thermodynamics

Compatibility with the holographic principle is demonstrated

Abstract

We explore some thermodynamical consequences of accelerated universes driven by a running cosmological constant (CC) from the renormalization group (RG). Application of the generalized second law (GSL) of gravitational thermodynamics to a framework where the running of the CC goes at the expense of energy transfer between vacuum and matter, strongly restricts the mass spectrum of a (hypothetical) theory controlling the CC running. We find that quantum effects driving the running of the CC should be dominated by a trans-planckian mass field, in marked contrast with the GUT-scale upper mass bound obtained by analyzing density perturbations for the running CC. The model shows compliance with the holographic principle.