The Vacuum Energy in a Condensate Model for Spacetime

TL;DR

This paper proposes a 4D quantum gravity model inspired by anyon superconductivity, linking it to string theory and suggesting a universal negative vacuum energy consistent with supernova observations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel discrete model for quantum gravity based on a 3D generalization of anyon superconductivity, connecting it to string theory and cosmological vacuum energy.

Findings

Universal negative vacuum pressure related to string tension

Model aligns with supernova brightness observations

Vacuum energy magnitude matches Einstein-de Sitter universe

Abstract

It is shown that a simple model for 4-dimensional quantum gravity based on a 3-dimensional generalization of anyon superconductivity can be regarded as a discrete form of Polyakov's string theory. This suggests that there is a universal negative pressure that is on the order of the string tension divided by the square of the Robertson-Walker scale factor. This is in accord with recent observations of the brightness of distant supernovae, which suggest that at the present time there is a vacuum energy whose magnitude is close to the mass density of an Einstein-de Sitter universe.