Cosmological Constant from Conformal Fluctuations of the Metric

Abstract

At the level of the Planck scale, the spacetime metric has to be considered a quantum variable. Conformal quantum fluctuations of the metric tensor are studied here. They lead to an extra term in the Einstein equations which can be identified with a cosmological constant. Quantum fluctuations may therefore contribute to an accelerated expansion of the universe, in accordance with newer observational data.