Inflation (Cosmology)
In physical cosmology, inflation is the theorized extremely rapid exponential expansion of the early universe. The Universe increased in expansion rapidly during the first few mili-seconds. After that, the Universe still expanded, but at a much slower rate. Inflation is now considered as a part of the standard Big Bang cosmology.
The inflationary hypothesis was originally proposed by American physicist Alan Guth in 1980, who named it "inflation". It was also proposed by Katushiko Sato in 1981. The hypothetical particle or field thought to be responsible for inflation is called the infaton.
Inflation resolved several conflicts in the Big Bang cosmology that were discovered in the 1970s. Guth was investigating the problem of why we see no magnetic mono poles today. He found that a positive-energy vacuum would, according to general relativity, generate an exponential expansion of space. These problems arise from the observation that to look like it does today, the Universe would have had to have special conditions when the turning point of the Big Bang occurred.
The inflationary hypothesis was originally proposed by American physicist Alan Guth in 1980, who named it "inflation". It was also proposed by Katushiko Sato in 1981. The hypothetical particle or field thought to be responsible for inflation is called the infaton.
Inflation resolved several conflicts in the Big Bang cosmology that were discovered in the 1970s. Guth was investigating the problem of why we see no magnetic mono poles today. He found that a positive-energy vacuum would, according to general relativity, generate an exponential expansion of space. These problems arise from the observation that to look like it does today, the Universe would have had to have special conditions when the turning point of the Big Bang occurred.