Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2289/3816
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dc.contributor.authorKatti, Rohit-
dc.contributor.authorSamuel, J.-
dc.contributor.authorSinha, Supurna-
dc.date.accessioned2009-07-31T10:17:08Z-
dc.date.available2009-07-31T10:17:08Z-
dc.date.issued2009-
dc.identifier.citationClassical and Quantum Gravity, 2009, Vol.26, 135018en
dc.identifier.issn0264-9381-
dc.identifier.issn1361-6382 (online)-
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2289/3816-
dc.descriptionRestricted Access. An open-access version is available at arXiv.org (one of the alternative locations)en
dc.description.abstractThe value of the cosmological constant is one of the major puzzles of modern cosmology: it is tiny but nonzero. Sorkin predicted, from the Causet approach to quantum gravity, that the cosmological constant has quantum fluctuations. The predicted order of magnitude of the fluctuations agrees with the subsequently observed value of the cosmological constant. We had earlier developed an analogy between the cosmological constant of the universe and the surface tension of fluid membranes. Here we demonstrate by computer simulations that the surface tension of a fluid membrane has statistical fluctuations stemming from its discrete molecular structure. Our analogy enables us to view these numerical experiments as probing a small and fluctuating cosmological constant. Deriving insights from our analogy, we show that a fluctuating cosmological constant is a generic feature of quantum gravity models and is far more general than the specific context in which it was originally proposed. We pursue and refine the idea of a fluctuating cosmological constant and work towards making further testable predictions.en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherIOP Publishing Ltd.en
dc.relation.urihttp://arxiv.org/abs/0904.1057v3en
dc.relation.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0264-9381/26/13/135018en
dc.rights2009 IOP Publishing Ltd.en
dc.titleThe universe in a soap filmen
dc.typeArticleen
Appears in Collections:Research Papers (TP)

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