Cosmological Constant and the Final Anthropic Hypothesis

TL;DR

This paper examines how a non-zero cosmological constant leads to future inflation, which challenges the Final Anthropic Hypothesis by imposing strict conditions on multiverse theories and the survival of intelligent life.

Contribution

It analyzes the implications of vacuum energy on the Final Anthropic Hypothesis and outlines conditions under which it may not hold true.

Findings

Future inflation due to vacuum energy limits the survival of intelligent species.

Multiverse models require specific conditions for the Final Anthropic Hypothesis to be valid.

The probability of the Final Anthropic Hypothesis being true is reduced by these constraints.

Abstract

The influence of recent detections of a finite vacuum energy ("cosmological constant") on our formulation of anthropic conjectures, particularly the so-called Final Anthropic Principle is investigated. It is shown that non-zero vacuum energy implies the onset of a quasi-exponential expansion of our causally connected domain ("the universe") at some point in the future, a stage similar to the inflationary expansion at the very beginning of time. The transition to this future inflationary phase of cosmological expansion will preclude indefinite survival of intelligent species in our domain, because of the rapid shrinking of particle horizons and subsequent depletion of energy necessary for information processes within the horizon of any observer. Therefore, to satisfy the Final Anthropic Hypothesis (reformulated to apply to the entire ensemble of universes), it is necessary to show that (i) chaotic inflation of Linde (or some similar model) provides a satisfactory description of reality, (ii) migration between causally connected domains within the multiverse is physically permitted, and (iii) the time interval left to the onset of the future inflationary phase is sufficient for development of the technology necessary for such inter-domain travel. These stringent requirements diminish the probability of the Final Anthropic Hypothesis being true.