The tunneling boundary condition for the wave function of the universe

Thesis/Dissertation · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:5932203

Delcampo, S E

The modern approach to quantum cosmology initiated primarily by Hartle and Hawking and by Vilenkin is described. The results of this approach culminated with the no-boundary and the tunneling boundary conditions of the wave function of the Universe. The latter one is emphasized. The tunneling wave function of the Universe is not always similar to a wave function describing usual quantum-mechanical tunneling. The differences are illustrated using the example of a homogeneous anisotropic minisuperspace model (which is also of interest in its own right). The tunneling wave function of the model is found in the limit of small and large anisotropy. The tunneling wave function is also calculated for an inflationary cosmological model with a variable gravitational constant. The resulting probability distribution for the initial states of the Universe is peaked at the highest maximum of the effective potential V = V(sub max), with the initial value of the Planck mass at approximately V(sub max)(exp 1/4). The initial states predicted by the tunneling wave functions are exactly the states needed for a long inflation. This is in contrast to the no-boundary proposal of Hartle and Hawking which gives a probability distribution which is incompatible with inflationary scenario.

• Research Organization: Tufts Univ., Medford, MA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5932203
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640106* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmology
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANISOTROPY
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
COSMOLOGY
DATA
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
ELECTRON MOBILITY
FUNCTIONS
GRAVITATIONAL FIELDS
INFORMATION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
MOBILITY
NUMERICAL DATA
PARTICLE MOBILITY
QUANTUM MECHANICS
THEORETICAL DATA
TUNNELING
UNIVERSE
WAVE FUNCTIONS