Cosmologies with turning points
Abstract
We explore singularity-free and geodesically-complete cosmologies based on manifolds that are not quite Lorentzian. The metric can be either smooth everywhere or non-degenerate everywhere, but not both, depending on the coordinate system. The smooth metric gives an Einstein tensor that is first order in derivatives while the non-degenerate metric has a piecewise FLRW form. On such a manifold the universe can transition from expanding to contracting, or vice versa, with the Einstein equations satisfied everywhere and without violation of standard energy conditions. We also obtain a corresponding extension of the Kasner vacuum solutions on such manifolds.
- Publication:
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Physics Letters B
- Pub Date:
- April 2023
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.physletb.2023.137802
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2302.10716
- Bibcode:
- 2023PhLB..83937802H
- Keywords:
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- General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
- E-Print:
- 12 pages, to appear in Physics Letters B