Thesis
Cosmological calculation conundrum: computational methods to constrain the cosmological constant
University of Iowa
Master of Science (MS), University of Iowa
Summer 2022
DOI: 10.25820/etd.006588
Abstract
In 1998 the Supernova Cosmology Project and the High-z Supernova Search Team published observations that showed the universe is expanding at an ever-increasing rate. The simplest explanation is a nonzero zero-point energy density. Observations have measured the energy density to be ρvac~10-8erg/cm3. A possible source of this energy density is the fluctuations of quantum fields. However, a vacuum density of 120 orders of magnitude larger is calculated from theory. Here, a toy model is used to study if considering composite particles with mass balance conditions proposed by Wolfgang Pauli in 1951 can be used to calculate a finite zero-point energy densities closer in agreement with observation. Results are analyzed for various numbers of total particles. This study finds both negative and positive energy densities are possible, with positive energy more probable than negative.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Cosmological calculation conundrum: computational methods to constrain the cosmological constant
- Creators
- Jonathan Sullivan-Wood
- Contributors
- Craig Pryor (Advisor)Neil Christensen (Committee Member)Yannick Meurice (Committee Member)Wayne Polyzou (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (MS), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Physics
- Date degree season
- Summer 2022
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- DOI
- 10.25820/etd.006588
- Number of pages
- ix, 33 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2022 Jonathan Sullivan-Wood
- Language
- English
- Description illustrations
- color illustrations
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (page 28).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
The universe is expanding at an ever-increasing rate. This increasing rate of outward expansion requires a source of energy in space. This mysterious energy is called “dark energy”. A possible source of the dark energy are the random fluctuations of particle fields that permute space. When physicists calculate the energy density expected, a number 10120 times larger is calculated than what is observed by astronomers. This major discrepantly is known as the Cosmological Constant Problem. Here, a possible computer method is suggested to use randomly generate particle masses to gain a statical overview of the energy density of space that random collections of particle masses result in.
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984285051602771
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