# de Sitter versus Minkowski QFT and cosmological constant

WMAP/Planck results confirm than we live in a de Sitter-like phase, i.e., a Universe with positive acceleration or positive cosmological constant! Therefore, I believe that a way to solve the cosmological constant problem could be to extend QFT from Minkowski to de Sitter space. I would not be surprised if our "mistake" to get the theoretical "wrong" value of the cosmological constant is associated to the fact of calculating the vacuum energy in a Minkowskian QFT setting.

My question is: what are the problems that a QFT on de Sitter space faces in order to explain the observed vacuum energy? Could it work?

PS: Does someone know good references about QFT in de Sitter space?

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Minor quibble: a de Sitter universe contains no matter. Our universe may be evolving towards being approximately de Sitter in the far future, but at the moment it is not a de Sitter universe. –  John Rennie May 18 '13 at 15:09
Thanks! I varied lightly the statement. I know what you mean, but with a non-zero cosmological constant, the Universe is more de Sitter like than Minkowskian! But yes, I was unprecise with "de Sitter Universe". I think I have improved the statement... I hope you will understand what I meant despite of that "bad language"... –  riemannium May 18 '13 at 19:32

$T_{Unruh }(dS)=\sqrt{a+a_0}/2\pi$ for a dS spacetime "proves" that even in a "vacuum" spacetime like-de Sitter, the issue of being "radiation-less" is observer dependent! In general, any accelerated system and its observer will "see" radiation even in "vacuum" spacetimes like dS! –  riemannium Aug 18 '13 at 10:41