Round 12: Tossup 9
In one proposed mechanism, this process is driven by a positive-energy false vacuum in which “bubbles” of true vacuum form via quantum tunneling. In another model, this process is driven by a scalar field whose energy is minimized via “slow-roll.” During this process, which occurred after the grand unification epoch, the scale factor underwent exponential growth. This process explains the temperature uniformity of the CMB, solving the (*) horizon problem and showing why the universe is homogenous and isotropic. Alan Guth proposed this process, which occurred about 10 to the minus 36th seconds after the Big Bang. For 10 points, name this process of extremely rapid expansion of the early universe. ■END■
ANSWER: cosmic inflation [or cosmological inflation; or inflationary epoch; accept slow-roll inflation; prompt on expansion of the universe or any answer indicating the universe expanding or getting bigger or larger]
<Science - Physics, Aveek Sarkar> | VAULT II Packet 13 (Finals 1)
= Average correct buzzpoint
Buzzes
| Player | Team | Opponent | Buzzpoint | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rishi Nath | Midnight Bus to Vista | Leif Eriksen's Striking Appearance | 49 | -5 |
| Skand Parvatikar | Leif Eriksen's Striking Appearance | Midnight Bus to Vista | 110 | 10 |
Summary
| Tournament | Edition | Match | Heard | Conv. % | Power % | Neg % | Avg. Buzz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VAULT II at UCSB | 2026-03-13 | ✓ | 1 | 100% | 0% | 100% | 110.00 |
| VAULT II Northern UK | 2026-04-24 | ✓ | 1 | 100% | 100% | 0% | 39.00 |
| VAULT II at Harvard | 2026-04-30 | ✓ | 4 | 50% | 25% | 50% | 61.00 |
| VAULT II Stanford Online | 2026-07-17 | ✓ | 1 | 100% | 100% | 0% | 51.00 |