Can Cosmology Provide a Test of Quantum Mechanics?
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
2020-05-07 v2 Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
High Energy Physics - Theory
Abstract
Inflation predicts that quantum fluctuations determine the large scale structure of the Universe. This raises the striking possibility that quantum mechanics, developed to describe nature at short distances, can be tested by studying nature at its most immense -- cosmology. We illustrate the potential of such a test by adapting the simplest form of the inflationary paradigm. A nonlinear generalization of quantum mechanics modifies predictions for the cosmological power spectrum. If we assume that the nonlinear parameter is a comoving quantity observational cosmology, within the context of single field inflation, is sufficiently precise to place a stringent limit, eV, on the current, physical size of the nonlinear term.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1804.07305,
title = {Can Cosmology Provide a Test of Quantum Mechanics?},
author = {Julian Georg and Carl Rosenzweig},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1804.07305},
year = {2020}
}