For 10 points, name this process proposed by Alan Guth, which states that the universe expanded rapidly after the Big Bang.
A chaotic version of this process implies that bubble or pocket universes can be created anywhere, even at locations with non-peak energy levels. One early problem with this process' original formulation was that it implied bubble nucleation due to quantum tunneling, but that problem was solved by considering this process as a scalar field going down a potential. In addition to the "slow-roll" modification, this process was first posited to solve the question of why magnetic monopoles can't be found, as well as why the universe obeys the cosmological principle and why the universe is flat. While Linde modified it, it is also the most commonly accepted solution of the horizon and flatness problems. It states that the universe's anisotropies are caused by quantum fluctuations early in the universe's life, evidence of that can be found in the cosmic microwave background. For 10 points, name this process proposed by Alan Guth, which states that the universe expanded rapidly after the Big Bang.
A chaotic version of this process implies that bubble or pocket universes can be created anywhere, even at locations with non-peak energy levels.
cosmic {inflation}