Islands in the Lambda-sea: An alternative cosmological model

Abstract

We propose an alternate cosmological model in which our observable universe is an island in a cosmological constant sea. Initially the universe is filled with cosmological constant of the currently observed value but is otherwise empty. In this eternal or semi-eternal de Sitter spacetime, we show that local quantum fluctuations (upheavals) can violate the null energy condition and create islands of matter. The perturbation spectra of quantum fields other than that responsible for the upheaval, are shown to be scale invariant. With further cosmic evolution the island disappears and the local universe returns to its initial cosmological constant dominated state.