Toward a possible solution to the cosmic coincidence problem

Kim Griest
Phys. Rev. D 66, 123501 – Published 6 December 2002
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Abstract

We suggest a paradigm that might allow for a nonanthropic solution to the cosmic coincidence problem of why the density of vacuum energy and matter are nearly equal today. The fact that the half life of uranium 238 is near to the age of the solar system is not considered a coincidence since there are many nuclides with a wide range of half lives implying that there is likely to be some nuclide with a half life near to any given time scale. Likewise it may be that the vacuum field energy causing the universal acceleration today is just one of a large ensemble of scalar field energies, which have dominated the Universe in the past and then faded away. Predictions of the idea include the following: the current density of vacuum energy is decreasing, the ratio of vacuum pressure to vacuum density, w, is changing and not equal to 1, there were likely periods of vacuum domination and acceleration in the past and may be additional periods in the future, and the eventual sum of all scalar field vacuum densities may be zero.

  • Received 20 February 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.66.123501

©2002 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Kim Griest

  • Physics Department 0319, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093

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Issue

Vol. 66, Iss. 12 — 15 December 2002

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