Are inflation and dark energy the same thing?

[Sorcerer]

I've this idea, assuming the universe continues to go on expanding at an accelerating rate forever.

It is possible for virtual particles(VP) to come into existence, they however need to borrow energy or mass, from another part of the universe, during accelerated expansion, there comes a time when every point in space expanding at a rate (faster than the speed of light) which means every point is seperated from every other by an event horizon. VPs, which are particle/antiparticle pairs will be seperated by this event horizon and cannot annihilate to return the energy back. So the universe can lose energy, but gain mass, as follows the equation E=mc^2.

Considering the energy which is inflation or dark energy (not necessarily the same, but I'm sure there's a strong link), which is energy that accelerates the universes expansion. If the VP stay in existence, it is possible for the energy to be removed from this expansion energy (dark energy).

Given enough time, eventually all the energy which is accelerating the universes expansion can be converted into mass. (It could all occur simultaneously if there was a probability of that, but I was trying not to use infinities). Somwhere towards this point the expansive force (dark energy) would be outweighed by a larger contractive force, gravity, given by the mass of VPs. The universe would collapse under it's own gravity and something very much resmbling what we observe at the beginning of our universe/ a big bang would occur. Much like the rebound of a star collapsing under its own gravity, this big bang is like the last universes supernova.

Perhaps this is what inflation is too, as the VP are able to come back into contact and annihilate again in the big bang or shortly thereafter, they give that energy back to the expansion of space. This triggers inflation and space accelerates to a point where it creates event horizons between VP pairs, energy again is removed and the expansion rapidly slows down. Over time some of the VPs again annihilate and this steadily accumulates to appear as the accelerated expansion we call dark energy.

Thoughts?

(Is there any reason why the dark energy and mass wouldn't find an equilibrium at some point instead of crossing the tipping point for the collapse. Could the universe just end up a steady state model?)

Edited February 21, 2015 by Sorcerer

[ajb]

People have and do consider inflation and dark energy to be related. However, the general feeling is that they are not. The energy scales involved are different and this suggest different physics.

[Afraid of Time]

Inflation is in the early stages and is NOT known to be the same thing as dark energy and the inflation theory is not a proven fact, although it explains more scientific concept than any other theory so far. With that being said they are known to be intimately related. I think of inflation as the idea and dark energy as the tool.

Edited February 23, 2015 by Afraid of Time