Cosmic bounce and phantom-like equation of state from tunnelling
arXiv:2301.08652 · doi:10.1007/JHEP05(2023)145
Abstract
We allow a scalar field on a flat FLRW background metric to tunnel between two degenerate vacua. The resulting true vacuum state then violates the Null Energy Condition, and the corresponding homogeneous fluid induces a bounce, after which it has a phantom-like equation of state and asymptotically leads to a de Sitter phase. The mechanism presented here requires no exotic matter or modified gravity, it is purely generated by quantum fluctuations and is valid for a generic double well potential.
Comments added; 22 pages, 3 figures