The Nothing at the Beginning of the Universe Made Precise

Abstract

We propose a new worldsheet approach to the McGreevy-Silverstein proposal: resolution of spacelike singularity via Scherk-Schwarz compactification and winding string condensation therein. Our proposal is built upon so-called three parameter sine-Liouville theory, which has useful features and could be solvable in conformal field theory method. Utilizing standard Wick rotation, we compute string pair production rate exactly in terms of renormalized worldsheet cosmological constant and find that the production rate is finite for six or less spacetime dimensions. We also find that the sine-Liouville potential excises string excitation in the asymptotic past, and that such "Nothing state" is realizable for a range of sine-Liouville coupling constants. We compute one loop vacuum-to-vacuum transition amplitude and again detect presence of the "Nothing state". We also survey various worldsheet approaches to the tachyon condensation based on timelike Liouville theory. We point out that string theory on a conifold provides the upper critical dimension for realizing the "Nothing state", thus making contact with the blackhole / string transition point.