Vacuum Energy: If Not Now, Then When?

We review the cosmological evidence for a low matter density universe and a cosmological constant or dynamical vacuum energy and address the cosmolog$ coincidence problem: why is the matter density about one-half the vacuum energy {\em now}. This is reasonble, following the anthropic argument of Efstathiou and of Martel, Schapiro & Weinberg.Comment: 4 pages (latex

Solar Core Homology, Solar Neutrinos and Helioseismology

Precise numerical standard solar models (SSMs) now agree with one another and with helioseismological observations in the convective and outer radiative zones. Nevertheless these models obscure how luminosity, neutrino production and g-mode core helioseismology depend on such inputs as opacity and nuclear cross sections. Although the Sun is not homologous, its inner core by itself is chemically evolved and almost homologous, because of its compactness, radiative energy transport, and ppI-dominated luminosity production. We apply luminosity-fixed homology transformations to the core to estimate theoretical uncertainties in the SSM and to obtain a broad class of non-SSMs, parametrized by central temperature and density and purely radiative energy transport in the core.Comment: 14 pp., jnl.tex macro, minor corrections; accepted by Astrophysical Journa

Variational Principles for Stellar Structure

The four equations of stellar structure are reformulated as two alternate pairs of variational principles. Different thermodynamic representations lead to the same hydromechanical equations, but the thermal equations require, not the entropy, but the temperature as the thermal field variable. Our treatment emphasizes the hydrostatic energy and the entropy production rate of luminosity produced and transported. The conceptual and calculational advantages of integral over differential formulations of stellar structure are discussed along with the difficulties in describing stellar chemical evolution by variational principles.Comment: 28 pages, LaTeX, requires AASTeX, 1 PostScript figure, revisions: erratum; accepted by Astrophysical Journa