Cosmology of the Lifshitz universe

Abstract

We study the ultraviolet complete non-relativistic theory recently proposed by Horava. After introducing a Lifshitz scalar for a general background, we analyze the cosmology of the model in Lorentzian and Euclidean signature. Vacuum solutions are found and it is argued the existence of non-singular bouncing profiles. We find a general qualitative agreement with both the picture of Causal Dynamical Triangulations and Quantum Einstein Gravity. However, inflation driven by a Lifshitz scalar field on a classical background might not produce a scale-invariant spectrum when the principle of detailed balance is assumed.

23 pages. v2: one reference and one equation added, main conclusions unchanged; v3: matches published version, discussion improved, typos corrected

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