Related papers: Towards Anisotropy-Free and Non-Singular Bounce Co…
We present nonsingular, homogeneous and isotropic bouncing solutions of the conformal Galileon model. We show that such solutions necessarily begin with a radiation-dominated contracting phase. This is followed by a quintom scenario in…
We study a model for a non-singular cosmic bounce in N=1 supergravity, based on supergravity versions of the ghost condensate and cubic Galileon scalar field theories. The bounce is preceded by an ekpyrotic contracting phase which prevents…
Cuscuton Gravity is characterized as a scalar field that can be added to general relativity without introducing any new dynamical degrees of freedom on a cosmological background. Yet, it modifies gravity such that spacetime singularities…
One of the fundamental questions of theoretical cosmology is whether the universe can undergo a non-singular bounce, i.e., smoothly transit from a period of contraction to a period of expansion through violation of the null energy condition…
We study spatially flat bouncing cosmologies and models with the early-time Genesis epoch in a popular class of generalized Galileon theories. We ask whether there exist solutions of these types which are free of gradient and ghost…
We present a nonsingular bouncing cosmology using single scalar field matter with non-trivial potential and non-standard kinetic term. The potential sources a dynamical attractor solution with Ekpyrotic contraction which washes out small…
A non-singular bouncing cosmology is generically obtained in loop quantum cosmology due to non-perturbative quantum gravity effects. A similar picture can be achieved in standard general relativity in the presence of a scalar field with a…
We analyze the Galileon ghost condensate implementation of a bouncing cosmological model in the presence of a non negligible anisotropic stress. We exhibit its structure, which we find to be far richer than previously thought. In…
We explicitly confirm that spatially flat non-singular bouncing cosmologies make sense as effective theories. The presence of a non-singular bounce in a spatially flat universe implies a temporary violation of the null energy condition,…
We consider bouncing cosmologies in which an ekpyrotic contraction phase with w >> 1 is followed by a bouncing phase with w < -1 that violates the null energy condition. The bouncing phase, induced by ghost condensation, is designed to…
Certain scalar fields with higher derivative interactions and novel classical and quantum mechanical properties - the Galileons - can be naturally covariantized by coupling to nonlinear massive gravity in such a way that their symmetries…
We consider a simple cosmological model that includes a long ekpyrotic contraction stage and smooth bounce after it. Ekpyrotic behavior is due to a scalar field with a negative exponential potential, whereas the Galileon field produces…
Following recent claims relative to the question of large anisotropy production in regular bouncing scenarios, we study the evolution of such anisotropies in a model where an Ekpyrotic phase of contraction is followed by domination of a…
We consider the ekpyrotic paradigm in the context of loop quantum cosmology. In loop quantum cosmology the classical big-bang singularity is resolved due to quantum gravity effects, and so the contracting ekpyrotic branch of the universe…
We study the propagation of super-horizon cosmological perturbations in a non-singular bounce spacetime. The model we consider combines a ghost condensate with a Galileon term in order to induce a ghost-free bounce. Our calculation is…
It has been recently shown that a cosmological bounce model based on Cuscuton gravity does not have any ghosts or curvature instabilities. We explore whether Cuscuton bounce can provide an alternative to inflation for generating near…
In this paper, we present a new scenario of the early Universe that contains a pre big bang Ekpyrotic phase. By combining this with a ghost condensate, the theory explicitly violates the null energy condition without developing any…
We complement the low-energy gravi-dilaton effective action of string theory with a non-local, general-covariant dilaton potential, and obtain homogeneous solutions describing a non-singular (bouncing-curvature) cosmology. We then compute,…
We show that a nonsingular bounce, free of ghosts and gradient instabilities, can be realized in the framework of Horndeski or generalized Galileon cosmology. In particular, we first review that the theoretical no-go theorem, which states…
We consider the construction of nonsingular Pre-Big-Bang and Ekpyrotic type cosmological models realized by the addition to the action of specific higher-order terms stemming from quantum corrections. We study models involving general…