ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Bunch–Davies vacuum

Okay kiddo, do you know what a vacuum is? No, not a vacuum cleaner! I mean the space that surrounds us. It might look like nothing is there, but actually, it's full of tiny particles constantly moving around. These particles are called quantum fields.

Now, let's talk about the Bunch-Davies vacuum. You see, when the universe was born, it was filled with super-hot particles. But as it expanded, it cooled down and the particles slowed down. Eventually, they formed the stars, planets and galaxies that we see today.

The Bunch-Davies vacuum is a special type of vacuum that describes the state of the quantum fields during the early universe, specifically during a period called inflation. During inflation, the universe grew really quickly in a very short amount of time. The quantum fields were jostled around so much that they settled into a specific pattern - the Bunch-Davies vacuum.

Imagine shaking a jar of sand really fast. The sand would move around a lot, but if you let it settle, it would eventually form a pattern at the bottom of the jar. That's kind of what happened during inflation.

Why is this important? Well, scientists use the Bunch-Davies vacuum as a kind of "starting point" to explain how the universe developed after inflation. By understanding the Bunch-Davies vacuum, they can better understand the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) - leftover radiation from the early universe that can tell us a lot about how the universe began.

So in a nutshell, the Bunch-Davies vacuum is a special state of quantum fields that formed during the early universe, and it helps scientists understand how the universe came to be.