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Title:
The cosmological constant and dark energy
Authors:
Peebles, P. J.; Ratra, Bharat
Affiliation:
AA(Joseph Henry Laboratories, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544), AB(Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506)
Publication:
Reviews of Modern Physics, vol. 75, Issue 2, pp. 559-606 (RvMP Homepage)
Publication Date:
04/2003
Origin:
APS
PACS Keywords:
Dark matter, Mathematical and relativistic aspects of cosmology, Surveys and tutorial papers, resource letters
DOI:
10.1103/RevModPhys.75.559
Bibliographic Code:
2003RvMP...75..559P

Abstract

Physics welcomes the idea that space contains energy whose gravitational effect approximates that of Einstein's cosmological constant, Lambda; today the concept is termed dark energy or quintessence. Physics also suggests that dark energy could be dynamical, allowing for the arguably appealing picture of an evolving dark-energy density approaching its natural value, zero, and small now because the expanding universe is old. This would alleviate the classical problem of the curious energy scale of a millielectron volt associated with a constant Lambda. Dark energy may have been detected by recent cosmological tests. These tests make a good scientific case for the context, in the relativistic Friedmann-Lemaître model, in which the gravitational inverse-square law is applied to the scales of cosmology. We have well-checked evidence that the mean mass density is not much more than one-quarter of the critical Einstein de Sitter value. The case for detection of dark energy is not yet as convincing but still serious; we await more data, which may be derived from work in progress. Planned observations may detect the evolution of the dark-energy density; a positive result would be a considerable stimulus for attempts at understanding the microphysics of dark energy. This review presents the basic physics and astronomy of the subject, reviews the history of ideas, assesses the state of the observational evidence, and comments on recent developments in the search for a fundamental theory.
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