Theory proposes knots as cause of inflation and the 3D universe

New Scientist : Inflation, the sudden growth spurt the universe experienced shortly after the Big Bang, required a massive amount of energy. But what provided that energy is still unknown. A new theory proposed by Arjun Berera of the University of Edinburgh, UK, and his colleagues suggests that the early universe could have been flooded with gluon-like particles that formed “flux tubes.” Those tubes, which Berera likens to the field lines seen in iron filings around a magnet, would have been incredibly densely packed together. Because the tubes behave like string, they could have become knotted, and that tangle may have contained enough energy to drive inflation. As the universe expanded past a certain point, the knots would have unraveled or broken, which slowed its growth. In addition, knots can form in only three dimensions. If, according to some theories, other dimensions do exist, Berera’s theory could explain why we can see only three of them.