Cosmic voids and filaments from quantum gravity

TL;DR

This paper uses computer simulations to explore the early universe's geometry, revealing cosmic web structures similar to today's universe, suggesting inflation could relate these primordial features to current cosmic structures.

Contribution

It introduces a novel simulation approach using scalar fields to visualize the geometry of a quantum universe before inflation, highlighting potential primordial cosmic web structures.

Findings

Simulated quantum universe exhibits cosmic web structures.

Structures resemble observed cosmic filaments and voids.

Inflation could connect primordial structures to current universe.

Abstract

Using computer simulations we study the geometry of a typical quantum universe, i.e. the geometry one might expect before a possible period of inflation. We display it using coordinates defined by means of four classical scalar fields satisfying the Laplace equation with non-trivial boundary conditions. The field configurations reveal cosmic web structures surprisingly similar to the ones observed in the present-day Universe. Inflation might make these structures relevant for our Universe.