The Robertson Floor of the Vacuum: A CDT Derivation of the Cosmological Constant Scale from Dispersive Vacuum Physics

We derive a first-principles bracket on the minimum vacuum energy density required to maintain atomic structure in a dispersive dynamic vacuum. Building on White et al. (2026), we apply Conjugate Dimension Theory to the competition between vacuum energy extraction and Coulombic coherence, yielding:0.66 u_Λ ≤ u_floor ≤ 1.19 u_Λwith zero free parameters. The bracket collapses the vacuum catastrophe from 10¹²¹ to a factor of ~2.Key results: The extraction-coherence angle θ = α/π is derived geometrically from QED vacuum polarization (Uehling-Serber back-reaction) Quality factor Q = ω_*/4Γ_2P ≈ 8.2×10⁶ fixed by the Lamb shift (1947), predating dark energy discovery QCD, weak, and gravitational sectors proved to contribute zero or negligibly Two specific, calculable open questions remain: (1) the correct commutator power in the locked-energy fraction, (2) the exact coupling profile (Gaussian vs. Lorentzian). These are correlated—W₃ requires Gaussian, W₂ permits Lorentzian; W₃+Lorentzian fails by 3 orders of magnitude.Falsification conditions: Lamb shift remeasurement inconsistent with bracket; dark energy confirmed as exactly constant (w = −1.000...) at the floor value; vacuum energy extraction below floor without atomic disruption; DESI BAO evolution inconsistent with relaxation toward floor; sub-nm Casimir extraction without predicted spectral shifts.Status: Awaiting two zero-parameter calculations in dispersive QED to collapse bracket to single prediction or falsify framework. All equations, input inventory, and numerical verification provided.

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Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-03-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18967153
Primary Topic
Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories
Type
article
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article

The Robertson Floor of the Vacuum: A CDT Derivation of the Cosmological Constant Scale from Dispersive Vacuum Physics

Clayton Schnell
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories
article

The Robertson Floor of the Vacuum: A CDT Derivation of the Cosmological Constant Scale from Dispersive Vacuum Physics

Clayton Schnell
article en

Abstract

We derive a first-principles bracket on the minimum vacuum energy density required to maintain atomic structure in a dispersive dynamic vacuum. Building on White et al. (2026), we apply Conjugate Dimension Theory to the competition between vacuum energy extraction and Coulombic coherence, yielding:0.66 u_Λ ≤ u_floor ≤ 1.19 u_Λwith zero free parameters. The bracket collapses the vacuum catastrophe from 10¹²¹ to a factor of ~2.Key results: The extraction-coherence angle θ = α/π is derived geometrically from QED vacuum polarization (Uehling-Serber back-reaction) Quality factor Q = ω_*/4Γ_2P ≈ 8.2×10⁶ fixed by the Lamb shift (1947), predating dark energy discovery QCD, weak, and gravitational sectors proved to contribute zero or negligibly Two specific, calculable open questions remain: (1) the correct commutator power in the locked-energy fraction, (2) the exact coupling profile (Gaussian vs. Lorentzian). These are correlated—W₃ requires Gaussian, W₂ permits Lorentzian; W₃+Lorentzian fails by 3 orders of magnitude.Falsification conditions: Lamb shift remeasurement inconsistent with bracket; dark energy confirmed as exactly constant (w = −1.000...) at the floor value; vacuum energy extraction below floor without atomic disruption; DESI BAO evolution inconsistent with relaxation toward floor; sub-nm Casimir extraction without predicted spectral shifts.Status: Awaiting two zero-parameter calculations in dispersive QED to collapse bracket to single prediction or falsify framework. All equations, input inventory, and numerical verification provided.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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