Lifshitz theory of the cosmological constant
Highlights: •Previous attempts to solve the enigma of the cosmological constant have failed. •This paper deduces the correct order of magnitude from the physics of the quantum vacuum. •A dynamical cosmological constant is predicted. •No new fields are introduced, but rather new concepts in fields as old as quantum electromagnetism. -- Abstract: Astrophysics has given empirical evidence for the cosmological constant that accelerates the expansion of the universe. Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics have proven experimentally that the quantum vacuum exerts forces – the van der Waals and Casimir forces – on neutral matter. It has long been conjectured (Zel’dovich, 1968) that the two empirical facts, the cosmological constant and the Casimir force, have a common theoretical explanation, but all attempts of deriving both from a unified theory in quantitative detail have not been successful so far. In AMO Physics, Lifshitz theory has been the standard theoretical tool for describing the measured forces of the quantum vacuum. This paper develops a version of Lifshitz theory that also accounts for the electromagnetic contribution to the cosmological constant. Assuming that the other fields of the Standard Model behave similarly, gives a possible quantum-optical explanation for what has been called dark energy.