Cosmological Constant and the Final Anthropic Hypothesis

The influence of recent detections of a finite vacuum energy(`cosmological constant') on our formulation of anthropic conjectures,particularly the so-called Final Anthropic Principle is investigated. Itis shown that non-zero vacuum energy implies the onset of a quasi-exponentialexpansion of our causally connected domain (`the universe') at some point inthe future, a stage similar to the inflationary expansion at the verybeginning of time. The transition to this future inflationary phase ofcosmological expansion will preclude indefinite survival of intelligentspecies in our domain, because of the rapid shrinking of particle horizonsand subsequent depletion of energy necessary for information processes withinthe horizon of any observer. Therefore, to satisfy the Final AnthropicHypothesis (reformulated to apply to the entire ensemble of universes), itis necessary to show that (i) chaotic inflation of Linde (or some similarmodel) provides a satisfactory description of reality, (ii) migration betweencausally connected domains within the multiverse is physically permitted, and(iii) the time interval left to the onset of the future inflationary phaseis sufficient for development of the technology necessary for suchinter-domain travel. These stringent requirements diminish the probabilityof the Final Anthropic Hypothesis being true.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]