Global definition and physical interpretation of the cosmological constant

Department of Physics, Drexel University - Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA

Corresponding authors: gerald.h.rosen@drexel.edu gr@geraldrosen.com

Received: 10 June 2009
Accepted: 28 August 2009

Abstract

Defined as a global physical entity, the cosmological constant appears here as a stationary functional of the metric, the matter (dark as well as visible) and the radiation fields. Subject to compact-support variations of the fields, gives the metric, matter and radiation field equations. With this rigorous physical formulation, the empirical relation , where is the average energy-density of matter and radiation, follows from the spacetime average of through the observable four-volume of the Universe on the homogeneity scale where L is the Lagrangian of the matter and radiation fields. Hence, the notion of negative-pressure dark energy is obviated in favor of an energy-density relationship for the cosmological constant that derives from the physical principle . Moreover, this formulation can be employed practically to rule out certain common-suspect free fields as the dominant component of dark matter. In particular, it is readily shown that a massive spin-zero scalar free field or a massive spin-one vector free field are precluded as the dominant component of dark matter.