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Published Online April 25, 2002
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1070462

Research Articles

Submitted on February 1, 2002
Accepted on April 10, 2002

A Cyclic Model of the Universe

Paul J. Steinhardt 1* Neil Turok 2

1 Joseph Henry Laboratories, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
2 Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Center for Mathematical Sciences, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: steinh{at}princeton.edu.

We propose a cosmological model in which the universe undergoes an endless sequence of cosmic epochs which begin with a 'bang' and end in a 'crunch.' Temperature and density at the transition remain finite. Instead of having an inflationary epoch, each cycle includes a period of slow accelerated expansion (as recently observed) followed by contraction that produces the homogeneity, flatness, next cycle.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Why the Cosmological Constant Is Small and Positive.
P. J. Steinhardt and N. Turok (2006)
Science 312, 1180-1183
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Measuring Spacetime: From the Big Bang to Black Holes.
M. Tegmark (2002)
Science 296, 1427-1433
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)