Higgs cyclic model from Steinhardt, Turok, Bars

In summary: And I don't think it's very convincing.Hi Chalnoth, thanks for your answer. Can you explain how the bounce phase mimics inflation. I can see how a long period of contract could solve the horizon probolem, but how does it solve the flatness, monopole and structure problems? I can see you are not sympathetic to this model so I appreciate taking time to respond.The metastability of the Higgs may lead to a new cyclic cosmology to replace inflation. In summary, this model has gravity becoming repulsive, which produces the bounce, and the high-pressure regime mimics inflation in many respects. However, I don't think it's very convincing.
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palmer eldtrich
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Its been suggested that the metastibility of the Higgs may lead to a new cyclic cosmology to replace inflation.
http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.8106
Can anyone give a layman's guide to how this works and they propose to solve the problems of the big bang that inflation is supposed to solve:
flatness, horizon, structure and monopole.
Thanks
 
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Huh. Seems interesting. I have doubts about their treatment of anisotropy, but definitely an interesting model.

As for the problems that inflation solves, as I understand it, the "bounce" phase mimics inflation in many respects, so that these problems are all solved automatically.

My primary concern here is that the crunch phase would not come close to being approximated by an isotropic universe. The crunch comes from vacuum decay, which occurs at a specific place and spreads at close to the speed of light. This is an extremely anisotropic process: parts of the visible universe would start their recollapse billions of years after other parts. And the fact that we have a cosmological horizon means that a vacuum decay event near us would never reach most far-away galaxies (they would have to wait until a decay event occurred within their horizon). I have a hard time believing that it's possible to model such an extraordinarily anisotropic process as if it were isotropic and get anywhere close to the right answer.
 
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Hi Chalnoth, thanks for your answer. Can you explain how the bounce phase mimics inflation. I can see how a long period of contract could solve the horizon probolem, but how does it solve the flatness, monopole and structure problems? I can see you are not sympathetic to this model so I appreciate taking time to respond.
Also as I understand they are claiming the metastibility fo the Higgs leads dark energy to switch its value so there is a big crunch is that right?
 
  • #4
palmer eldtrich said:
Hi Chalnoth, thanks for your answer. Can you explain how the bounce phase mimics inflation. I can see how a long period of contract could solve the horizon probolem, but how does it solve the flatness, monopole and structure problems? I can see you are not sympathetic to this model so I appreciate taking time to respond.
Also as I understand they are claiming the metastibility fo the Higgs leads dark energy to switch its value so there is a big crunch is that right?
Unfortunately I don't understand it so well myself. I gather that under sufficiently high energies/pressures, their model has gravity becoming repulsive, which is what produces the bounce, and that the high-pressure regime mimics inflation in many respects. But I carefully examined the math they used to show this.
 
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1. What is the Higgs cyclic model?

The Higgs cyclic model, proposed by physicists Paul Steinhardt, Neil Turok, and Ilya Bars, is a cosmological model that suggests the universe undergoes a series of cycles, with each cycle beginning with a big bang and ending with a big crunch. This model incorporates the Higgs field, which is responsible for giving particles their mass, into the cyclic nature of the universe.

2. How does the Higgs cyclic model differ from the traditional big bang theory?

The traditional big bang theory suggests that the universe began with a singularity and has been expanding ever since. In contrast, the Higgs cyclic model proposes that the universe undergoes a series of cycles, with each cycle beginning and ending with a big bang and big crunch respectively.

3. What evidence supports the Higgs cyclic model?

There are a few pieces of evidence that support the Higgs cyclic model. One is the observation of dark energy, which is thought to be responsible for the current acceleration of the universe's expansion. This could be explained by the Higgs field gaining energy during the current cycle. Another is the observed flatness of the universe, which the Higgs cyclic model can explain by suggesting that the universe's curvature resets during each cycle.

4. Are there any challenges to the Higgs cyclic model?

One of the main challenges to the Higgs cyclic model is the lack of observational evidence for previous cycles. While there is some evidence that supports the idea, such as the cosmic microwave background radiation, it is not conclusive. Additionally, the cyclic model does not fully explain the origin of the initial singularity that begins each cycle.

5. How does the Higgs cyclic model impact our understanding of the universe?

The Higgs cyclic model offers an alternative to the traditional big bang theory and provides a possible explanation for some observed phenomena, such as dark energy and the flatness of the universe. It also suggests that the universe may have no beginning or end, and instead is in a constant state of cycling. However, more research and evidence is needed to fully understand and validate this model.

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