On efforts to decouple early universe cosmology and quantum gravity phenomenology
Abstract
The Big Bang singularity in standard model cosmology suggests a program of study in 'early universe' quantum gravity phenomenology. Inflation is usually thought to undermine this program's prospects by means of a dynamical diluting argument, but such a view has recently been disputed within inflationary cosmology, in the form of a 'trans-Planckian censorship' conjecture. Meanwhile, trans-Planckian censorship has been used outside of inflationary cosmology to motivate alternative early universe scenarios that are tightly linked to ongoing theorizing in quantum gravity. Against the resulting trend toward early universe quantum gravity phenomenology within and without inflation, Ijjas and Steindhardt suggest a further alternative: a 'generalized cosmic censorship' principle. I contrast the generalized cosmic censorship principle with the logic of its namesake, the cosmic censorship conjectures. I also remark on foundational concerns in the effective field theory approach to cosmology beyond the standard model, which would be based on that principle.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2206.07783,
title = {On efforts to decouple early universe cosmology and quantum gravity phenomenology},
author = {Mike D. Schneider},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2206.07783},
year = {2023}
}
Comments
Final preprint version, accepted at Foundations of Physics. An early version of this paper misstated the scope of the intended argument, and was subsequently withdrawn out of respect for those invested in related areas of research. Versions thereafter resolved that issue, among other revisions. Notably, in the present version, technical details of the toy model at the end have been clarified