Cosmic evolution from phase transition of 3-dimensional flat space
arXiv:1305.2919 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.181301
Abstract
Flat space cosmology spacetimes are exact time-dependent solutions of 3-dimensional gravity theories, such as Einstein gravity or topologically massive gravity. We exhibit a novel kind of phase transition between these cosmological spacetimes and the Minkowski vacuum. At sufficiently high temperature (rotating) hot flat space tunnels into a universe described by flat space cosmology.
5 pp, v2: removed Tolman factor from the discussion and corrected footnote [40]; essentially matches published version in PRL