Solving the Flatness & Horizon Problems via Self-Organized Criticality

Abstract

Self-organized criticality (SOC) is a universal mechanism for self-sustained critical behavior in large-scale systems evolving outside equilibrium. The trademark signature of SOC is two-fold: a) it occurs in complex ensembles of multiple interacting components and b) it is characterized by power-law distribution of “avalanche” sizes. This brief report suggests that both flatness and horizon problems of cosmology may be explained away through the universal features of SOC. The explanation stems from the so-called finite scaling ansatz (FSS) of SOC, which is a generic paradigm for the emergence of complexity in Nature. Our approach is straightforward and evades traditional solutions involving fine-tuning, particle horizons or inflation.