one of the newest things to storm the quantum physics community in the last few years is the theory of a particle helping the inflation of the universe in the very early few microseconds of existence. this particle is said to be the key element in inflation from very small and compact to the explosion expansion. as such it is being called the "universe mother particle" LHC and super-symetry are making it closer and closer to discovery of not just the higgs boson but this particle as well.
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http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727743.200-closing-in-on-the-inflaton-mother-of-the-universe.html