The cosmic role of tachyon in the type 0 strings

TL;DR

This paper introduces new solutions in ten-dimensional type 0 string theory where tachyon fields influence cosmological models, including scenarios where tachyon acts as a time parameter, revealing novel dynamical phases.

Contribution

It presents a new class of solutions with phases where tachyon is either frozen or propagating, and proposes a cosmological model with tachyon as a time variable.

Findings

Existence of phases with frozen or propagating tachyon

Tachyon can serve as a cosmological time parameter

New solutions expand understanding of type 0 string dynamics

Abstract

We present a new class of solution to the ten-dimensional type 0 effective action. Given a generic potential of tachyon field, there exist phases where tachyon is either frozen at local extremals or free to propagate along flat directions. In the latter phase, a cosmology model is proposed where the tachyon plays the role of time.