Related papers: The Big Bang as the Ultimate Traffic Jam
The expansion of our universe, when followed backward in time, implies that it emerged from a phase of huge density, the big bang. These stages are so extreme that classical general relativity combined with matter theories is not able to…
In the Friedmann equations, an infinite initial density is avoided only when the universe is spatially flat. With such equations being then valid when the scale factor $a=0$, the universe must also be in the state of vacuum when $a$ is…
We analyze the canonical quantum dynamics of the isotropic Universe in a metric approach by adopting a self-interacting scalar field as relational time. When the potential term is absent we are able to associate the the expanding and…
We set up a vacuum theory of gravity with an extra dimension of vanishing proper length. The most general solution to the field equations are presented. This formulation is free of Kaluza-Klein modes and does not allow the propagation of…
This article introduces Universal Quantum Relativity which is a simple Theory of Everything. It relies on an ultimate doctrine that is the absence of absolute existence. This generalizes relativity principles up to a mother quantum theory.…
General non-singular accelerating cosmological solutions for an initial cosmic period of pure vacuum birth era are derived. This vacuum era is described by a varying cosmological "constant" suggested by the Renormalisation Group flow of…
We study a single-lane traffic model that is based on human driving behavior. The outflow from a traffic jam self-organizes to a critical state of maximum throughput. Small perturbations of the outflow far downstream create emergent traffic…
At very early times, the universe was not in a vacuum state. Under the assumtion that the deviation from equillibrium was large, in particular that it is higher than the scale of inflation, we analyse the conditions for local transitions…
The path integral over Euclidean geometries for the recently suggested density matrix of the Universe is shown to describe a microcanonical ensemble in quantum cosmology. This ensemble corresponds to a uniform (weight one) distribution in…
We propose a cosmological model in which the universe undergoes an endless sequence of cosmic epochs each beginning with a `bang' and ending in a `crunch.' The temperature and density are finite at each transition from crunch to bang.…
In the paper "Life, the Universe, and everything--42 fundamental questions", Roland Allen and Suzy Lidstr\"om presented personal selection of the fundamental questions. Here, based on the condensed matter experience, we suggest the answers…
Although big bang cosmology effectively models even the most puzzling observational data, it offers no insight into why the cosmological expansion should occur at all. In this paper it is suggested that a finite Universe poses particular…
In this paper, we study a big bounce universe typified by a non-singular big bounce, as opposed to a singular big bang. This cosmological model can describe radiation dominated early universe and matter dominated late universe in FRW model.…
We study a quantum Hot Big Bang in the connection representation, with a matter constant of motion m whose conjugate defines time. Superpositions in m induce a unitary inner product. The wavefunction reveals a resolution of the singularity…
The field equations of pre-geometric theories of gravity are derived and analysed, both without and with matter. After the spontaneous symmetry breaking that reduces the gauge symmetry of these theories \`a la Yang-Mills, a metric structure…
This paper is a continuation of the paper [V.S.Mashkevich, gr-qc/9409010]. Indeterministic quantum gravity is a theory that unifies general relativity and quantum theory involving indeterministic conception, i.e., quantum jumps. By the same…
It is argued that the "Big Bang" initiating the creation of our Universe may be a consequence of a first-order phase transition induced by interaction of a fundamental non-linear scalar field with gravitational field. The Lagrangian…
The pre-big bang scenario describes the evolution of the Universe from an initial state approaching the flat, cold, empty, string perturbative vacuum. The choice of such an initial state is suggested by the present state of our Universe if…
We propose a gravitational model with a Brans-Dicke-type scalar field having, in the would-be action, a "wrong-sign" kinetic term and a quartic interaction term. In a cosmological context, we obtain, depending on the boundary conditions,…
I briefly review the physics of cosmic bubble collisions in false-vacuum eternal inflation. My purpose is to provide an introduction to the subject for readers unfamiliar with it, focussing on recent work related to the prospects for…