On the cosmological constant problem

An additional variation of the Einstein-Hilbert action with respect to the Planck mass provides a constraint on the average Ricci scalar that prevents vacuum energy from gravitating. Consideration of the evolution of the inhomogeneous matter distribution in the Universe with evaluation of the averaging constraint on disconnected matter cells that ultimately form isolated gravitationally bound structures yields a backreaction effect that self-consistently produces the cosmological constant of the background. A uniform prior on our location in the formation of these isolated structures implies a mean expectation for the present cosmological constant energy density parameter of Omega(A) = 0.704, giving rise to a late-time acceleration of the cosmic expansion and a coincident current energy density of matter. (C) 2019 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V.