Abstract
Davies1 has argued that the inflationary cosmological scenario2–5 provides a natural explanation for the time asymmetry of the Universe. Here I dispute this argument by noting that the inflationary scenario implicitly invokes time asymmetry with the assumption of an absence of initial spatial correlations. No scenario based on charge-parity-time (CPT)-invariant dynamical laws can explain the time asymmetry apart from postulating or explaining these special initial conditions, as Penrose6,7 has emphasized.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Davies, P. C. W. Nature 301, 398–400 (1983).
Guth, A. H. Phys. Rev. D23, 347–356 (1981).
Linde, A. D. Phys. Lett 108 B, 389–393 (1982).
Hawking, S. W. & Moss, I. G. Phys. Lett 110 B, 35–38 (1982).
Albrecht, A. & Steinhardt, P. J. Phys. Rev. Lett. 48, 1220–1223 (1982).
Penrose, R. in General Relativity: An Einstein Centenary Survey (eds Hawking, S. W. & Israel, W.) (Cambridge University Press, 1979).
Penrose, R. in Quantum Gravity 2: A 2nd Oxford Symp. (eds. Isham, C. J., Penrose, R. & Sciama, D. W.) (Clarendon, Oxford, 1981).
Davies, P. C. W. The Physics of Time Asymmetry (Surrey University Press-University of California Press, 1974).
Frieman, J. A. & Will, C. M. Astrophys. J. 259, 437–441 (1982).
Barrow, J. D. in The Very Early Universe (eds Gibbons, G. W., Hawking, S. W. & Siklos, S. T. C.) (Cambridge University Press, 1983).
Penrose, O. & Percival, I. C. Proc. phys. Soc. 79, 605 (1962).
Page, D. N. in The Very Early Universe (eds Gibbons, G. W., Hawking, S. W. & Siklos, S. T. C.) (Cambridge University Press, 1983).
Zeldovich, Ya. B. & Khlopov, M. Yu. Phys Lett. 79 B, 209–241 (1978).
Preskill, J. P. Phys. Rev. Lett. 43, 1365–1368 (1979).
Hawking, S. W. in Astrophysical Cosmology: Proc. of the Study Week on Cosmology and Fundamental Physics (eds. Brück, H. A., Coyne, G. V. & Longair, M. S.) (Pontificia Academia Scientiarum Vatican, 1982).
Hartle, J. B. & Hawking, S. W. Preprint (Univ. Cambridge, 1983).
Vilenkin, A. Phys. Lett 117 B, 25–28 (1982).
Vilenkin, A. Preprint (Tufts University, 1983).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Page, D. Inflation does not explain time asymmetry. Nature 304, 39–41 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/304039a0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/304039a0
This article is cited by
-
Does inflation provide natural initial conditions for the universe
General Relativity and Gravitation (2005)
-
Violation ofCPT invariance in the typical universe
Il Nuovo Cimento B Series 11 (1990)
-
The birth of time
Foundations of Physics (1986)
-
Inflation in the universe and time asymmetry
Nature (1984)
-
Can inflation explain the second law of thermodynamics?
International Journal of Theoretical Physics (1984)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
