Radiation-dominated area metric cosmology

TL;DR

This paper supports a refined area metric model of spacetime, demonstrating its radiation-dominated epoch aligns with standard cosmology and ensuring successful nucleosynthesis, while also predicting a small late-time acceleration.

Contribution

It shows that area metric cosmology's radiation epoch is equivalent to Einstein cosmology, resolving conceptual issues and supporting its viability.

Findings

Radiation-dominated epoch matches standard cosmology

Supports successful nucleosynthesis in area metric models

Predicts small late-time acceleration

Abstract

We provide further crucial support for a refined, area metric structure of spacetime. Based on the solution of conceptual issues, such as the consistent coupling of fermions and the covariant identification of radiation fields on area metric backgrounds, we show that the radiation-dominated epoch of area metric cosmology is equivalent to that epoch in standard Einstein cosmology. This ensures, in particular, successful nucleosynthesis. This surprising result complements the previously derived prediction of a small late-time acceleration of an area metric universe.