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arXiv · 1707.07702

A Smooth Exit from Eternal Inflation?

S. W. Hawking·Thomas Hertog
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Abstract

The usual theory of inflation breaks down in eternal inflation. We derive a dual description of eternal inflation in terms of a deformed Euclidean CFT located at the threshold of eternal inflation. The partition function gives the amplitude of different geometries of the threshold surface in the no-boundary state. Its local and global behavior in dual toy models shows that the amplitude is low for surfaces which are not nearly conformal to the round three-sphere and essentially zero for surfaces with negative curvature. Based on this we conjecture that the exit from eternal inflation does not produce an infinite fractal-like multiverse, but is finite and reasonably smooth.

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S. W. Hawking, Thomas Hertog. 2018-04-20. A Smooth Exit from Eternal Inflation?. https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep04(2018)147

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