Could a thin-shell configuration lie hidden within the Universe?

TL;DR

This paper proposes that our universe could contain a hidden, evolving wormhole structure supported by exotic matter, which appears as a thin shell within the cosmological model, potentially influencing cosmic evolution.

Contribution

It introduces a novel cosmological model with a hidden thin-shell wormhole configuration derived from a modified FRW metric and analyzes its properties using Israel's junction formalism.

Findings

The thin shell obeys a specific equation of state, $p = -\rho/2$.

The shell's energy density scales as $1/a(t)$, diluting with cosmic expansion.

The model describes a universe containing a hidden wormhole supported by exotic matter.

Abstract

This article explores the cosmological scenario in which our Universe contains a hidden thin-shell configuration. We investigate a degenerate modification of the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric obtained through a coordinate transformation applied to the radial coordinate, analogous to recent approaches that address the Big Bang singularity via spacetime defects. The resulting metric, while formally satisfying the standard homogeneous Friedmann equations, actually describes an evolving wormhole geometry with two asymptotically flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker regions connected by a throat located at the coordinate singularity. Using Israel's junction formalism, we demonstrate that this coordinate singularity corresponds to a thin shell characterized by exotic matter with well-defined surface energy density and isotropic pressure. The shell obeys the barotropic equation of state $p = -\rho/2$, confirming the presence of exotic matter that violates the standard energy condition, which is a requirement for maintaining wormhole geometries. As the universe expands, this thin shell becomes increasingly diluted, scaling as $1/a(t)$ with the cosmic scale factor.