Vacuum energy problem in anti-de Sitter space

Abstract

We investigate the cosmological evolution of a universe with an initially large negative vacuum energy, corresponding to an anti-de Sitter (AdS) space-time. Such a universe inevitably contracts and collapses into a singularity. To prevent this collapse, we propose a dynamical mechanism of vacuum energy compensation based on a scalar field non-minimally coupled to the curvature scalar. Numerical and analytical calculations demonstrate that the suggested mechanism completely compensates the gravitational impact of the vacuum energy, successfully driving the curvature to zero. As a result, the universe avoids the singularity and evolves into a power-law expansion, typical for a radiation-dominated cosmology.