Creation of a Toy Universe
  General ideas of gauge/gravity duality allow for the possibility of time dependent solutions that interpolate between a perturbative gauge theory phase and a weakly curved string/gravity phase. Such a scenario applied to cosmology would exhibit a non-geometric phase before the big bang. We investigate a toy model for such a cosmology, whose endpoint is the classical limit of the two-dimensional non-critical string. We discuss the basic dynamics of this model, in particular how it evolves toward the double scaling limit required for stringy dynamics. We further comment on the physics that will determine the fluctuation spectrum of the scalar tachyon. Finally, we discuss various features of this model, and what relevance they might have for a more realistic, higher dimensional scenario. 
Eric G. Novak