Inflationary schism
Classic inflation, the theory described in textbooks, is based on the idea that, beginning from typical initial conditions and assuming a simple inflaton potential with a minimum of fine-tuning, inflation can create exponentially large volumes of space that are generically homogeneous, isotropic and...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2014-09-01
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| Series: | Physics Letters B |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269314004985 |
| _version_ | 1818194046413176832 |
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| author | Anna Ijjas Paul J. Steinhardt Abraham Loeb |
| author_facet | Anna Ijjas Paul J. Steinhardt Abraham Loeb |
| author_sort | Anna Ijjas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Classic inflation, the theory described in textbooks, is based on the idea that, beginning from typical initial conditions and assuming a simple inflaton potential with a minimum of fine-tuning, inflation can create exponentially large volumes of space that are generically homogeneous, isotropic and flat, with nearly scale-invariant spectra of density and gravitational wave fluctuations that are adiabatic, Gaussian and have generic predictable properties. In a recent paper, we showed that, in addition to having certain conceptual problems known for decades, classic inflation is for the first time also disfavored by data, specifically the most recent data from WMAP, ACT and Planck2013. Guth, Kaiser and Nomura and Linde have each recently published critiques of our paper, but, as made clear here, we all agree about one thing: the problematic state of classic inflation. Instead, they describe an alternative inflationary paradigm that revises the assumptions and goals of inflation, and perhaps of science generally. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T00:56:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-124e5a13b648406999e73e1f4048ebde |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0370-2693 1873-2445 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T00:56:04Z |
| publishDate | 2014-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physics Letters B |
| spelling | doaj.art-124e5a13b648406999e73e1f4048ebde2022-12-22T00:43:52ZengElsevierPhysics Letters B0370-26931873-24452014-09-01736C14214610.1016/j.physletb.2014.07.012Inflationary schismAnna Ijjas0Paul J. Steinhardt1Abraham Loeb2Max-Planck-Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert-Einstein-Institute), 14476 Potsdam, GermanyPrinceton Center for Theoretical Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USAHarvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138, USAClassic inflation, the theory described in textbooks, is based on the idea that, beginning from typical initial conditions and assuming a simple inflaton potential with a minimum of fine-tuning, inflation can create exponentially large volumes of space that are generically homogeneous, isotropic and flat, with nearly scale-invariant spectra of density and gravitational wave fluctuations that are adiabatic, Gaussian and have generic predictable properties. In a recent paper, we showed that, in addition to having certain conceptual problems known for decades, classic inflation is for the first time also disfavored by data, specifically the most recent data from WMAP, ACT and Planck2013. Guth, Kaiser and Nomura and Linde have each recently published critiques of our paper, but, as made clear here, we all agree about one thing: the problematic state of classic inflation. Instead, they describe an alternative inflationary paradigm that revises the assumptions and goals of inflation, and perhaps of science generally.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269314004985 |
| spellingShingle | Anna Ijjas Paul J. Steinhardt Abraham Loeb Inflationary schism Physics Letters B |
| title | Inflationary schism |
| title_full | Inflationary schism |
| title_fullStr | Inflationary schism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inflationary schism |
| title_short | Inflationary schism |
| title_sort | inflationary schism |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269314004985 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT annaijjas inflationaryschism AT pauljsteinhardt inflationaryschism AT abrahamloeb inflationaryschism |