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arXiv · 2302.10716

Cosmologies with turning points

Bob Holdom
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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.

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Bob Holdom. 2023-02-21. Cosmologies with turning points. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2023.137802

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