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Inflation from Extra Dimensions

Janna Levin

gr-qcarXiv:gr-qc/9411041

Abstract

A gravity-driven inflation is shown to arise from a simple higher dimensional universe. In vacuum, the shear of n>1 contracting dimensions is able to inflate the remaining three spatial dimensions. Said another way, the expansion of the 3-volume is accelerated by the contraction of the n-volume. Upon dimensional reduction, the theory is equivalent to a four dimensional cosmology with a dynamical Planck mass. A connection can therefore be made to recent examples of inflation powered by a dilaton kinetic energy. Unfortunately, the graceful exit problem encountered in dilaton cosmologies will haunt this cosmology as well.

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