Emergent Spacetime and Cosmic Inflation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a background-independent matrix model framework where cosmic inflation emerges dynamically from Planck energy condensates, eliminating the need for an inflaton field or potential, and challenges multiverse concepts.

Contribution

It proposes a novel background-independent approach to cosmic inflation using a matrix model, where spacetime and inflation emerge from quantum condensates without traditional inflaton fields.

Findings

Inflation is triggered by Planck energy condensates.

Spacetime emerges dynamically without an inflaton.

The model challenges the necessity of the multiverse hypothesis.

Abstract

We present a novel background-independent framework for cosmic inflation, starting with a matrix model. In this framework, inflation is portrayed as a dynamic process responsible for the generation of both space and time. This stands in contrast to conventional inflation, which is characterized as a mere (exponential) expansion of an already existing spacetime, driven by the vacuum energy associated with an inflaton field. We observe that the cosmic inflation is triggered by the condensate of Planck energy into vacuum and responsible for the dynamical emergence of spacetime. The emergent spacetime picture admits a background-independent formulation so that the inflation is described by a conformal Hamiltonian system which requires neither an inflaton field nor an ad hoc inflation potential. This implies that the emergent spacetime may incapacitate all the rationales to introduce the multiverse hypothesis.