English

Long-Time Asymptotics of a Bohmian Scalar Quantum Field in de Sitter Space-Time

Quantum Physics 2016-06-07 v2 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Abstract

We consider a model quantum field theory with a scalar quantum field in de Sitter space-time in a Bohmian version with a field ontology, i.e., an actual field configuration φ(x,t)\varphi({\bf x},t) guided by a wave function on the space of field configurations. We analyze the asymptotics at late times (tt\to\infty) and provide reason to believe that for more or less any wave function and initial field configuration, every Fourier coefficient φk(t)\varphi_{\bf k}(t) of the field is asymptotically of the form ck1+k2exp(2Ht)/H2c_{\bf k}\sqrt{1+{\bf k}^2 \exp(-2Ht)/H^2}, where the limiting coefficients ck=φk()c_{\bf k}=\varphi_{\bf k}(\infty) are independent of tt and HH is the Hubble constant quantifying the expansion rate of de Sitter space-time. In particular, every field mode φk\varphi_{\bf k} possesses a limit as tt\to\infty and thus "freezes." This result is relevant to the question whether Boltzmann brains form in the late universe according to this theory, and supports that they do not.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1507.08542,
  title  = {Long-Time Asymptotics of a Bohmian Scalar Quantum Field in de Sitter Space-Time},
  author = {Roderich Tumulka},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1507.08542},
  year   = {2016}
}

Comments

11 pages LaTeX, no figures; v2: section 5 added, and minor additions