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arXiv:1707.07702hep-th

A Smooth Exit from Eternal Inflation?

S. W. Hawking, Thomas Hertog

Abstract

The usual theory of inflation breaks down in eternal inflation. We derive a dual description of eternal inflation in terms of a deformed Euclidean CFT located at the threshold of eternal inflation. The partition function gives the amplitude of different geometries of the threshold surface in the no-boundary state. Its local and global behavior in dual toy models shows that the amplitude is low for surfaces which are not nearly conformal to the round three-sphere and essentially zero for surfaces with negative curvature. Based on this we conjecture that the exit from eternal inflation does not produce an infinite fractal-like multiverse, but is finite and reasonably smooth.

arXiv comments
15 pages; v2: added explicit calculation of higher-spin toy-model; v3: minor changes to provide more context, references added, version accepted for publication in JHEP
Journal reference
DOI
doi:10.1007/JHEP04(2018)147
Subjects
hep-thHigh Energy Physics, Theory astro-ph.COCosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics gr-qcGeneral Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

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Linked by 3 identifiable commenters in 3 comments across 3 threads, from Mar 2018 to Aug 2022. Found in 7 HN submissions from Mar 2018 to Dec 2020. Open submission discussions.

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Discussed in comments3 threads

  1. We don't know how the universe began, and we will never know 1 comment

    • > I’d be surprised if either scientists were trying to publish articles like that — or if they were, that they could pass peer review. The article we're discussing itself even links to one such paper [0]. All of the others she mentions are also published works - Penrose's CCC…

      tsimionescuView on HNParent context

  2. Two weeks before death, Hawking submitted a paper on parallel universes 1 comment
  3. Stephen Hawking leaves behind 'breathtaking' final multiverse theory 1 comment

    • No he did not. The original paper is at https://arxiv.org/abs/1707.07702 This paper was not widely noticed back when it was written in July (both inside and outside the theoretical physics community) and still has not been accepted in a journal. In fact, it is rather unfortunate…

      bvvView on HNParent context

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