Shortest scale of quantum field theory
Open accessAbstract
It is suggested that the Minkowski vacuum of quantum field theories of a large number of fields N would be gravitationally unstable due to strong vacuum energy fluctuations unless an N dependent sub-Planckian ultraviolet momentum cutoff is introduced. We estimate this implied cutoff using an effective quantum theory of massless fields that couple to semiclassical gravity and find it (assuming that the cosmological constant vanishes) to be bounded by ${M}_{\mathrm{Planck}}/\mathcal{N}{}^{1/4}.$ Our bound can be made consistent with entropy bounds and holography, but does not seem to be equivalent to either, and it relaxes but does not eliminate the implied bound on N inherent in entropy bounds.
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Cites
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Entropic Issues in Contemporary Cosmology
COULE, D. H. (2003) · International Journal of Modern Physics D · doi:10.1142/s0218271803003530 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
- Authors
- Brustein, R., Eichler, D., Foffa, S., & Oaknin, D. H.
- Affiliations
- Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (IL)
- Venue
- Physical Review D
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Published
- 2002-05-09
- Volume
- 65
- Issue
- 10
- ISSN
- 0556-2821 (ISSN-L)
- 1089-4918
- OpenAlex
- W2171462644
- Cited by
- 33
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 3.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- arxiv.org
- Locations
- Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (publishedVersion)
- Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- CERN Document Server (European Organization for Nuclear Research) (submittedVersion)
- Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Statistical and Nonlinear Physics › Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Nuclear and High Energy Physics › Black Holes and Theoretical Physics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Cosmology and Gravitation Theories
- Keywords
- quantum field theory, ultraviolet cutoff, sub-Planckian scale, vacuum energy, gravitational instability, Minkowski vacuum, semiclassical gravity, massless fields, entropy bounds, holography, cosmological constant, Planck scale
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