  It is commonly believed that the vacuum energy problem points to the need for
(1) a radically new formulation of gravitational physics and (2) a new
principle which forces the vacuum stress-energy tensor (as measured by gravity)
to be nearly zero. Here we point out that a new fundamental theory contains
both features: (1) In this theory the vierbein is interpreted as the
"superfluid velocity" associated with the order parameter for a GUT-scale Higgs
condensate. (2) The vacuum stress-energy tensor is exactly zero in the vacuum
state, because the action is extremalized with respect to variations in the
order parameter. With inhomogeneously-distributed matter present, the vacuum
stress-energy tensor is shifted away from zero.

Astrophysics