From big crunch to big bang

Justin Khoury, Burt A. Ovrut, Nathan Seiberg, Paul J. Steinhardt, Neil Turok

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

529 Scopus citations

Abstract

We consider conditions under which a universe contracting towards a big crunch can make a transition to an expanding big bang universe. A promising example is 11-dimensional M theory in which the eleventh dimension collapses, bounces, and reexpands. At the bounce, the model can reduce to a weakly coupled heterotic string theory and, we conjecture, it may be possible to follow the transition from contraction to expansion. The possibility opens the door to new classes of cosmological models. For example, we discuss how it suggests a major simplification and modification of the recently proposed ekpyrotic scenario.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number086007
Pages (from-to)860071-860078
Number of pages8
JournalPhysical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology
Volume65
Issue number8B
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 15 2002

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

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