Big bang as a topological quantum phase transition

IIB matrix model, bosonic master field, and emergent spacetime

“…In fact, it may be that the proper IIB matrix model has only dimensionless matrices and Ψ without length scale whatsoever and that the IIB matrix model produces a phase with conformal symmetry. This would fit in nicely with the recent suggestion [28] of a "tamed" big bang as a topological quantum phase transition. Then, the Friedmann big bang singularity would be replaced by a gapless phase which evolves into a gapped state corresponding to our present Universe.…”

“…The dimensionless IIB matrix model could give rise to such a gapless phase and perhaps also to those "matter" fields (e.g., a 3-form gauge field) that produce the -type vacuum variable. The initial evolution of the universe would then be driven by the motion of ( ) away from the starting configuration = 0, with normal matter (e.g., the quarks and leptons of the standard model) created from later ( ) oscillations [28]. The subsequent dynamics should also provide a length scale, an energy scale, and a mass scale by breaking the conformal symmetry [29][30][31].…”

“…See Sec. 5 for further comments relating to a "tamed" big bang [28] and subsequent conformal symmetry breaking [29][30][31].…”

Emergent gravity from the IIB matrix model and cancellation of a cosmological constant

“…In that approach, there is a special type of vacuum variable q, which provides for the natural cancellation of any previously generated vacuum energy density [9,10]. Several follow-up papers on the q-theory approach to the CCP have appeared over the years [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Here, we should perhaps emphasize one point, namely that q-theory in the cosmological context leads to universal dynamic equations, independent of the particular realization of the q variable (see, in particular, appendix A 3 of [19]).…”