Flat Space Cosmology as a Model of Light Speed Cosmic Expansion—Implications for the Vacuum Energy Density

Abstract

Cosmologists have long ignored a stipulation by quantum field theorists that the vacuum pressure p corresponding to the zero-state vacuum energy must always be equal in magnitude to the vacuum energy density ρ (i.e., p =ρ). Although general relativity stipulates the additional condition of proportionality between the vacuum gravitational field and (ρ+3 p ), the equation of state for the cosmic vacuum must fulfill both relativistic and quantum stipulations. This paper fully integrates Flat Space Cosmology (FSC) into the Friedmann equations containing a cosmological term, with interesting implications for the nature of dark energy, cosmic entropy and the entropic arrow of time. The FSC vacuum energy density is shown to be equal to the cosmic fluid bulk modulus at all times, thus meeting the quantum theory stipulation of ( p = ρ ). To date, FSC is the only viable dark energy cosmological model which has fully-integrated general relativity and quantum features.