Quantum cosmology and the initial state of the Universe

Journal Article · Mon Feb 15 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Phys. Rev. D; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.37.888· OSTI ID:5647884

Vilenkin, A

Cosmological wave functions are found in a minisuperspace model (1) with ''tunneling'' and (2) with Hartle-Hawking boundary conditions. The probability distributions for the initial states of the Universe corresponding to the two wave functions are calculated and compared. It is shown that the tunneling wave function predicts initial states that lead to inflation, while the Hartle-Hawking wave function does not. Small perturbations about the minisuperspace model are considered and it is argued that both wave functions predict that the Universe nucleates with quantum fields in de Sitter-invariant vacuum states.

• Research Organization: Physics Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155
• OSTI ID: 5647884
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. D; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. D; (United States) Vol. 37:4; ISSN PRVDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640106* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmology
645400 -- High Energy Physics-- Field Theory
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
FIELD THEORIES
FUNCTIONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PERTURBATION THEORY
PROBABILITY
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
RENORMALIZATION
SCALAR FIELDS
SPACE-TIME
TUNNEL EFFECT
UNIVERSE
VACUUM STATES
WAVE FUNCTIONS