Abstract
A diverse set of observations now compellingly suggest that the universe possesses a nonzero cosmological constant. In the context of quantum-field theory a cosmological constant corresponds to the energy density of the vacuum, and the favored value for the cosmological constant corresponds to a very tiny vacuum energy density. We discuss future observational tests for a cosmological constant as well as the fundamental theoretical challenges - and opportunities - that this poses for particle physics and for extending our understanding of the evolution of the universe back to the earliest moments.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1137-1144 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | General Relativity and Gravitation |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 1995 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)