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arXiv · hep-th/9209013

The String Universe: High $T_c$ Superconductor or Quantum Hall Conductor?

John Ellis·N. E. Mavromatos·D. V. Nanopoulos
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Abstract

Our answer is the latter. Space-time singularities, including the initial one, are described by world-sheet topological Abelian gauge theories with a Chern-Simons term. Their effective $N=2$ supersymmetry provides an initial fixed point where the Bogomolny bound is saturated on the world-sheet, corresponding to an extreme Reissner-Nordstrom solution in space-time. Away from the singularity the gauge theory has world-sheet matter fields, bosons and fermions, associated with the generation of target space-time. Because the fermions are complex (cf the Quantum Hall Effect) rather than real (cf high-$T_c$ superconductors) the energetically-preferred vacuum is not parity or time-reversal invariant, and the associated renormalization group flow explains the cosmological arrow of time, as well as the decay of real or virtual black holes, with a monotonic increase in entropy.

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John Ellis, N. E. Mavromatos, D. V. Nanopoulos. 1992-09-04. The String Universe: High $T_c$ Superconductor or Quantum Hall Conductor?. https://doi.org/10.1016/0370-2693(92)90801-a

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