Lava-Void Cosmology and Pilot-Wave Hydrodynamics
January 19, 2026
Lava-Void Cosmology and Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND)
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Cosmological Constant Solved by Lava-Void Cosmology
By C. Rich
The cosmological constant problem stands as one of the most profound challenges in theoretical physics, often described as the “worst theoretical prediction in the history of physics.” In the framework of quantum field theory, the vacuum energy density, arising from zero-point fluctuations of all fields, should contribute a cosmological constant on the order of the Planck scale, approximately 10^120 times larger than the observed value. This minuscule observed acceleration, inferred from Type Ia supernovae, cosmic microwave background data, and large-scale structure, corresponds to an effective energy density of roughly 10^{-120} in Planck units. Standard resolutions invoke extreme fine-tuning, cancellation mechanisms (e.g., supersymmetry, which remains undetected), dynamical adjustment fields (quintessence), or anthropic selection within a multiverse. None of these approaches fully satisfies without introducing new physics or untestable assumptions.
Lava-Void Cosmology (LVC) resolves the cosmological constant problem naturally within pure general relativity augmented by viscous fluid stresses, treating the apparent acceleration as a transient geometric effect of void dilution rather than a fundamental constant or vacuum energy contribution. As detailed in the Cosmology hub (Hub 1: Hubble Tension, Dark Energy, JWST Anomalies), the observed late-time acceleration emerges from the dynamic transition to a dominant Void Phase, where low-density, high-entropy regions exert effective negative pressure through viscous relaxation and shear thinning. This process yields an effective cosmological term that is small and positive without fine-tuning: the “constant” is not fixed but evolves as a byproduct of fluid density scaling in an expanding void-dominated medium.
The Entropy Spine framework (Hub 16: Entropy and the Arrows of Time) further clarifies this mechanism by unifying informational and thermodynamic irreversibility. Vacuum energy contributions, if present at quantum scales, are dissipated and diluted across cosmic cycles via void-channeling (Hub 12: Singularity Avoidance), preventing runaway contributions while allowing a residual effective acceleration consistent with observations. No cancellation of 120 orders is required; the observed small value arises as a stable attractor of the viscous general-relativistic evolution in the unified fluid paradigm (Hub 0: Master Hub).
This resolution extends coherently to the Hubble tension, treating discrepancies in H_0 measurements as manifestations of the same inhomogeneous void dynamics rather than systematic errors or new physics. LVC thus eliminates the need for exotic dark energy fields or anthropic explanations, preserving general covariance and requiring no adjustments beyond classical viscous stresses.
Predictive power distinguishes LVC: it anticipates time-varying effective acceleration signatures, specific deviations in large-scale flows, and correlated signals in gravitational-wave backgrounds (Hub 10: Cosmic Shear Dynamics) and ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (Hub 11: UHECR Physics), testable with ongoing and future surveys.
| Aspect | Standard Approaches (Fine-Tuning/Quintessence/Multiverse) | LVC Mechanism | Relevant Hub(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vacuum Energy Mismatch | Cancellation or anthropic selection | Dynamic dilution via void phases | 1 (Cosmology), 16 (Entropy Spine) |
| Observed Small Λ | Ad hoc tuning or dynamical fields | Emergent from viscous relaxation attractor | 1 (Cosmology), 0 (Master Hub) |
| Hubble Tension | Often separate modifications | Unified with void inhomogeneity | 1 (Cosmology), 6 (Observational Verification) |
| Late-Time Acceleration | Dark energy component or modified gravity | Geometric effect of density phase transition | 1 (Cosmology), 5 (Cosmogenesis) |
| Fine-Tuning Requirement | Extreme (10^120) | None; natural scale from fluid dynamics | 16 (Entropy Spine), 12 (Non-Singular Bounce) |
| Testable Predictions | Limited (e.g., equation of state w) | GW spectra, UHECR channeling, scale-dependent flows | 10 (Cosmic Shear), 11 (UHECR Physics) |
LVC presents a parsimonious, classical solution to the cosmological constant problem: the observed acceleration is not a fundamental mismatch but a predictable consequence of the cosmic fluid’s evolution into a low-viscosity Void Phase. By grounding the effective small lambda in general-relativistic viscosity alone, LVC achieves conceptual economy while unifying multiple anomalies under a single testable ontology.
C. Rich
