Related papers: Supersmoothing through Slow Contraction
We explicitly compute the dynamics of closed homogeneous and isotropic universes permeated by a single perfect fluid with a constant equation of state parameter $w$ in the context of a recent reformulation of general relativity, proposed in…
The mechanism for the relaxation of the cosmological constant is studied and elaborated. In the model used for the analysis of the relaxation mechanism the universe contains two components: a cosmological constant of an arbitrary size and…
Using the power of numerical relativity, we show that, beginning from generic initial conditions that are far from flat, homogeneous and isotropic and have a large Weyl curvature, a period of slow contraction rapidly drives spacetime…
The linear cosmological perturbation theory of an almost homogeneous and isotropic perfect fluid universe is reconsidered and formally simplified by introducing new covariant and gauge-invariant variables with physical interpretations on…
Purpose: This essay is a retelling of general relativity in a language in which space-time geometry is expressed as a fluid. This trivial and useful reformulation gives 1) a non-perturbative covariant description of cosmological…
Standard quantum field theory arguments predict an enormous cosmological constant. But what would this mean observationally? For a homogeneous universe the answer is clear, but if the universe is inhomogeneous at the Planck scale, the…
We introduce "anamorphic" cosmology, an approach for explaining the smoothness and flatness of the universe on large scales and the generation of a nearly scale-invariant spectrum of adiabatic density perturbations. The defining feature is…
We present a unified treatment of the phase space of a spatially flat homogeneous and isotropic universe dominated by a phantom field. Results on the dynamics and the late time attractors (Big Rip, de Sitter, etc.) are derived without…
In the recent article Phys. Rev. D 100, no. 4, 043533 (2019) a compact phase space generalization of the flat de Sitter cosmology has been proposed. The main advantages of the compactification is that physical quantities are bounded, and…
The flat, homogeneous, and isotropic universe with a massless scalar field is a paradigmatic model in Loop Quantum Cosmology. In spite of the prominent role that the model has played in the development of this branch of physics, there still…
This paper studies intermediate homogenization of inhomogeneous cosmological models. It shows that spherically symmetric models, regardless of the equation of state, can undergo intermediate homogenization, i.e. a model can approach a…
The standard cosmological model supposes that the dominant matter component changes in the course of the evolution of the universe. We study the homogeneous and isotropic universe with non-zero cosmological constant in the epoch when the…
We use numerical relativity simulations to explore the conditions for a canonical scalar field $\phi$ minimally coupled to Einstein gravity to generate an extended phase of slow contraction that robustly smooths the universe for a wide…
The Cyclic Model attempts to resolve the homogeneity, isotropy, and flatness problems and generate a nearly scale-invariant spectrum of fluctuations during a period of slow contraction that precedes a bounce to an expanding phase. Here we…
We outline the content and theoretical support for the proposal of "hydrodynamics on (mini)superspace" (or a non-linear extension of quantum cosmology) as an effective framework for quantum gravity in a cosmological context. The basis for…
In this paper we discuss models satisfying the limiting curvature condition. For this purpose we modify the Einstein-Hilbert action by adding a term which restricts the growth of curvature. We analyze cosmological solutions in such models.…
The present talk summarizes the recently progressed state of a systematic re-evaluation of cosmological models that respect the presence of inhomogeneities. Emphasis is given to identifying the basic steps towards an effective (i.e.…
A supersolid is a system that presents long-range order and shear rigidity as a solid but which also supports a non-dissipative superflow as a superfluid. From an effective perspective, supersolids are identified with phases of matter that…
Bouncing cosmologies are often proposed as alternatives to standard inflation for the explanation of the homogeneity and flatness of the universe. In such scenarios, the present cosmological expansion is preceded by a contraction phase.…
We study the quantization of geometry in the presence of a cosmological constant, using a discretiza- tion with constant-curvature simplices. Phase space turns out to be compact and the Hilbert space finite dimensional for each link. Not…