Accelerating Universe, Cosmological Constant and Dark Energy

Observations suggest that nearly seventy per cent of the energy density in the universe is unclustered and exerts negative pressure. Theoretical understanding of this component (`dark energy'), which is driving an accelerated expansion of the universe, is {\it the} problem in cosmology today. I discuss this issue with special emphasis on the cosmological constant as the possible choice for the dark energy. Several curious features of a universe with a cosmological constant ar...

In this work we review briefly the origin and history of the cosmological constant and its recent reincarnation in the form of the dark energy component of the universe. We also comment on the fundamental problems associated to its existence and magnitude which require and urgent solution for the sake of the internal consistency of theoretical physics.

The universe appears to be accelerating, but the reason why is a complete mystery. The simplest explanation, a small vacuum energy (cosmological constant), raises three difficult issues: why the vacuum energy is so small, why it is not quite zero, and why it is comparable to the matter density today. I discuss these mysteries, some of their possible resolutions, and some issues confronting future observations.

In the present manuscript the basic Einstein--Hilbert cosmological model is extended, by adding a new functional $F(G, T_{\mu\nu}T^{\mu\nu})$ in the fundamental action, encoding specific geometrical effects due to a nontrivial coupling with the Gauss-Bonnet invariant ($G$), and the energy--momentum squared term ($T_{\mu\nu}T^{\mu\nu}$). After obtaining the corresponding gravitational field equations for the specific decomposition where $F(G, T_{\mu\nu}T^{\mu\nu})=f(G)+g(T_{\m...

Astrophysical observations are pointing out huge amounts of dark matter and dark energy needed to explain the observed large scale structures and cosmic accelerating expansion. Up to now, no experimental evidence has been found, at fundamental level, to explain such mysterious components. The problem could be completely reversed considering dark matter and dark energy as shortcomings of General Relativity and claiming for the correct theory of gravity as that derived by match...

Modern astrophysical and cosmological models are plagued with two severe theoretical difficulties, namely, the dark energy and the dark matter problems. Relative to the former, high-precision observational data have confirmed with startling evidence that the Universe is undergoing a phase of accelerated expansion. This phase, one of the most important and challenging current problems in cosmology, represents a new imbalance in the governing gravitational equations. Several ca...

I review the problem of dark energy focusing on the cosmological constant as the candidate and discuss its implications for the nature of gravity. Part 1 briefly overviews the currently popular `concordance cosmology' and summarises the evidence for dark energy. It also provides the observational and theoretical arguments in favour of the cosmological constant as the candidate and emphasises why no other approach really solves the conceptual problems usually attributed to the...

The concept of the scalar graviton as the source of the dark matter and dark energy of the gravitaional origin is applied to study the evolution of the isotropic homogeneous Universe. A realistic self-consistent solution to the modified pure gravity equations, which correctly describes the accelerated expansion of the spatially flat Universe, is found and investigated. It is argued that the scenario with the scalar gravitons filling up the Universe may emulate the LCDM model,...

Recent observations of distant supernovae imply, in defiance of expectations, that the universe growth is accelerating, contrary to what has always been assumed that the expansion is slowing down due to gravity. In this paper a general-relativistic cosmological theory that gives a direct relationship between distances and redshifts in an expanding universe is presented. The theory is actually a generalization of Hubble's law taking gravity into account by means of Einstein's ...

The principles of General Relativity allow for a non-vanishing cosmological constant, which can possibly be interpreted at least partially in terms of quantum-fluctuations of matter fields. Depending on sign and magnitude it can cause accelerated or decelerated expansion at certain stages of cosmic evolution. Recent observations in cosmology seem to indicate that we presently live in an accelerated phase. We recall the history and fundamental issues connected with the cosmolo...