{
  "abstract": "We investigate a quantum relaxation mechanism for the vacuum energy density arising from the spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) $$SO(1,4)\\rightarrow SO(1,3)$$, driven by a Higgs field $$\\Phi $$ in a MacDowell–Mansouri pre-geometric gravity framework. The theory predicts a countably infinite set of vacua, corresponding to distinct topological sectors, for a periodic Higgs potential with intervening barriers. This structure gives rise to a series of dualities and see-saw relations connecting fundamental scales – the Planck mass and the Cosmological Constant – to topological parameters such as the Gauss–Bonnet coupling and the $$\\theta $$-term, all of which emerge only after SSB. A striking consequence is the quantization of the vacuum energy into discrete levels. Starting from a vacuum expectation value $$\\langle \\Phi \\rangle = v_1$$ associated with a large vacuum energy, the system evolves via quantum tunneling through the infinite landscape of minima. Crucially, we demonstrate that the transition probability is maximized for the ordered sequence $$ \\Lambda _1> \\cdots> \\Lambda _k > \\cdots $$, where the Cosmological Constant decreases monotonically toward the asymptotic attractor $$\\Lambda _\\infty = 0$$.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Anqing Normal University",
    "University of Science and Technology of China",
    "Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati INFN"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 1,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Andrea Addazi",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5624-8449"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/eqkpyahphyw6h.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16518-x",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "eqkpyahphyw6h",
  "issns": [
    "1434-6052"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16518-x",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "feed-journal",
      "physics/high-energy"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16518-x.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-09",
  "publisher": "Springer Science and Business Media LLC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/eqkpyahphyw6h.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-09T12:20:30Z",
      "native_id": "10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16518-x",
      "source": "feed-springer",
      "url": "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16518-x"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-09T12:21:17Z",
      "native_id": "10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16518-x",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16518-x"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "feed-journal:physics/high-energy",
      "subfield": "high-energy"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Quantum relaxation dynamics of vacuum energy from pre-geometric gravity",
  "title_text": "Quantum relaxation dynamics of vacuum energy from pre-geometric gravity",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T12:21:17Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/eqkpyahphyw6h",
  "venue": "The European Physical Journal C",
  "versions": []
}