Effective Field Theory, Black Holes, and the Cosmological Constant

Andrew G. Cohen; David B. Kaplan; Ann E. Nelson

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.4971

Effective Field Theory, Black Holes, and the Cosmological Constant

Andrew G. Cohen, David B. Kaplan, and Ann E. Nelson

Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 4971 – Published 21 June 1999

Abstract

Bekenstein has proposed the bound $S \leq π M_{P}^{2} L^{2}$ on the total entropy $S$ in a volume $L^{3}$ . This nonextensive scaling suggests that quantum field theory breaks down in large volume. To reconcile this breakdown with the success of local quantum field theory in describing observed particle phenomenology, we propose a relationship between UV and IR cutoffs such that an effective field theory should be a good description of nature. We discuss implications for the cosmological constant problem. We find a limitation on the accuracy which can be achieved by conventional effective field theory.

Received 25 March 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.4971

Authors & Affiliations

Andrew G. Cohen^1,*, David B. Kaplan^2,†, and Ann E. Nelson^3,‡

¹Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
²Institute for Nuclear Theory, 1550, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1550
³Department of Physics 1560, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1560

^*Email address: cohen@andy.bu.edu
^†Email address: dbkaplan@phys.washington.edu
^‡Email address: anelson@phys.washington.edu