A New View of the Cosmic Landscape

Abstract

In this scenario, a generic meta-stable deSitter vacuum site in the cosmic landscape in string theory has a very short lifetime. Typically, the smaller is the vacuum energy of a meta-stable site, the longer is its lifetime. This view of the landscape can provide a qualitative dynamical explanation why the dark energy of our universe is so small. The argument for this scenario is based on resonance tunneling, a well-known quantum mechanical phenomenon, the topography of the landscape, and the vastness of the cosmic landscape. Mapping the topography of the landscape, even if only in a small region, will test the validity of this scenario.