Andrei Linde is one of the main authors of inflationary cosmology. At present, it is the leading candidate for the theory of the very early stages of expansion of the universe and formation of its large scale structure. In this podcast Linde will describe some of the popular versions of this theory, as well as observational evidence it favor of inflationary cosmology.
We also discuss Andrei’s career, the big problems in cosmology, and how Andrei invented eternal chaotic inflation which can lead to a universe which is constantly inflating, where new universes are constantly being created.
Eternal inflation is a theory that states that the universe is constantly inflating, and that new universes are constantly being created. Here's his 1986 paper about it ETERNAL CHAOTIC INFLATION http://cds.cern.ch/record/167897/files/CM-P00066672.pdf
Professor Linde’s seminal book PARTICLE PHYSICS AND INFLATIONARY COSMOLOGY is available in PDF format: https://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/0503203.pdf
Here are some past episodes that complement this one:
- Anna Ijjas: Bouncing cosmology https://youtu.be/aGlLjq4OcmE
- Will Kinney: An Infinity of Worlds https://youtu.be/iDsqy9QVGoI
- Neil Turok Endless Universes: https://youtu.be/Dt5cFLN65fI
Note there are a number of alternative theories to cosmic inflation. Some of the most popular alternatives include:
- The ekpyrotic universe: This theory suggests that the universe began in a state of contraction, rather than expansion. The contraction would have eventually led to a singularity, at which point the universe would have bounced back into expansion.
- The cyclic universe: This theory is similar to the ekpyrotic universe, but it suggests that the universe goes through a series of cycles of contraction and expansion.
- The varying-speed-of-light universe: This theory suggests that the speed of light was not constant in the early universe. If this is true, it could explain how the universe could have expanded rapidly without violating the laws of physics.
- The string gas universe: This theory suggests that the early universe was filled with a gas of strings. The strings would have interacted with each other, causing the universe to expand rapidly.
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