Minimal Vacuum-Energy Sequestering in Closed Dust FRW Cosmology Predicts a Negative Residual Cosmological Constant

One of the greatest mysteries in modern physics is the cosmological constant problem: why is the dark energy driving the accelerated expansion of our universe so small and positive, rather than infinitely huge due to quantum vacuum fluctuations? A prominent theory known as "vacuum-energy sequestering" successfully solves the first half of this puzzle by mathematically canceling out this enormous quantum energy. However, does it predict the correct small, positive value we observe today? In this paper, we test the most minimal and predictive version of this mechanism within a universe model dominated by standard, pressureless matter (dust). We demonstrate a fundamental "no-go" result: the structural mathematical constraints of this model strictly generate a negative cosmological constant. Consequently, while minimal sequestering elegantly stabilizes the quantum vacuum, it predicts a universe that collapses rather than one that accelerates. We conclude that any successful future extension of this theory cannot simply add minor late-time fixes; it must fundamentally rethink which quantum degrees of freedom are allowed to interact with gravity. Repository Contents: This repository contains the full manuscript and the comprehensive Python codebase required to strictly reproduce all numerical and analytical claims made in the paper.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-07-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21107519
Primary Topic
Cosmology and Gravitation Theories
Type
preprint
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
preprint

Minimal Vacuum-Energy Sequestering in Closed Dust FRW Cosmology Predicts a Negative Residual Cosmological Constant

Kevin Funchal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Cosmology and Gravitation Theories
preprint

Minimal Vacuum-Energy Sequestering in Closed Dust FRW Cosmology Predicts a Negative Residual Cosmological Constant

Kevin Funchal
preprint en

Abstract

One of the greatest mysteries in modern physics is the cosmological constant problem: why is the dark energy driving the accelerated expansion of our universe so small and positive, rather than infinitely huge due to quantum vacuum fluctuations? A prominent theory known as "vacuum-energy sequestering" successfully solves the first half of this puzzle by mathematically canceling out this enormous quantum energy. However, does it predict the correct small, positive value we observe today? In this paper, we test the most minimal and predictive version of this mechanism within a universe model dominated by standard, pressureless matter (dust). We demonstrate a fundamental "no-go" result: the structural mathematical constraints of this model strictly generate a negative cosmological constant. Consequently, while minimal sequestering elegantly stabilizes the quantum vacuum, it predicts a universe that collapses rather than one that accelerates. We conclude that any successful future extension of this theory cannot simply add minor late-time fixes; it must fundamentally rethink which quantum degrees of freedom are allowed to interact with gravity. Repository Contents: This repository contains the full manuscript and the comprehensive Python codebase required to strictly reproduce all numerical and analytical claims made in the paper.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Peace, Justice and strong institutions
Cosmology and Gravitation Theories
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.