Inflation Models that don't produce Multiverse?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter cosmanino2050
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around identifying inflation models in cosmology that do not lead to the concept of a multiverse, contrasting them with models that do. Participants explore various inflationary theories, their implications, and the definitions of multiverse concepts, particularly in the context of eternal inflation.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire about specific inflation models that do not produce a multiverse, suggesting that chaotic inflation and hybrid inflation may lead to multiverse scenarios.
  • A participant references a paper that claims eternal inflation generically produces a multiverse, implying that models without this feature must be exceptional.
  • Another participant notes that many inflation models involve regions of the universe that inflate indefinitely, leading to a fractal multiverse, while highlighting the ongoing debate regarding the viability of the inflationary model.
  • It is mentioned that inflation models that start and stop quickly, as opposed to those that are eternally inflating, may not necessarily result in a multiverse.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between inflation models and the multiverse concept, with no consensus reached on specific models that definitively do not produce a multiverse.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various papers and sources, indicating a lack of clarity on the definitions and implications of different inflation models. The discussion reveals uncertainty regarding the categorization of models and their outcomes.

cosmanino2050
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
TL;DR
What are inflation models that don't produce multiverse?
What are inflation models that don't produce multiverse?
 
Space news on Phys.org
What are inflation models that produce multiverse? What do you mean by multiverse? Any sources you are reading?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: ohwilleke
I
weirdoguy said:
What are inflation models that produce multiverse? What do you mean by multiverse? Any sources you are reading?
I mean by multiverse these pocket or bubble universes which are produced during eternal inflation. I don't have a broad idea, but I think models like chaotic inflation or hybrid inflation do produce them.
 
https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.27.2848

This paper is often cited as showing eternal inflation producing a multiverse is generic, and therefore inflation without this feature must be very special. As to a specific model known to be free of this, I don ‘t know - this is not something I know much about.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: ohwilleke
cosmanino2050 said:
TL;DR Summary: What are inflation models that don't produce multiverse?

What are inflation models that don't produce multiverse?
In many models, the inflationary phase of the Universe's expansion lasts forever in at least some regions of the Universe. This occurs because inflating regions expand very rapidly, reproducing themselves. Unless the rate of decay to the non-inflating phase is sufficiently fast, new inflating regions are produced more rapidly than non-inflating regions. In such models, most of the volume of the Universe is continuously inflating at any given time.

All models of eternal inflation produce an infinite, hypothetical multiverse, typically a fractal. The multiverse theory has created significant dissension in the scientific community about the viability of the inflationary model.

From Wikipedia: Cosmic Inflation.

But, as the linked article discusses, there are all sorts of inflation models and "eternal inflation" to which this hypothesis applies, is only one of them. (Some time ago, I saw a catalog of inflation theories in a paper on arXiv that listed more than a hundred distinct variants of cosmic inflation theories, but I can't seem to find the link right now.)

Just reading the papers references by the others in this thread and this link, it appears that inflation models where inflation starts and then shortly after stops, as opposed to "eternal" inflation models, don't necessarily produce a multiverse.

As one example, "hybrid inflation" is not "eternal inflation", so it doesn't necessarily produce a multiverse.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
914
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 37 ·
2
Replies
37
Views
6K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K