Related papers: Probabilities in Quantum Cosmological Models: A De…
Recent results on the decoherent histories quantization of simple cosmological models (minisuperspace models) are described. The most important issue is the construction, from the wave function, of a probability distribution answering…
We give an explicit, rigorous framework for calculating quantum probabilities in a model theory of quantum gravity. Specifically, we construct the decoherence functional for the Wheeler-DeWitt quantization of a flat…
We illustrate the crucial role played by decoherence (consistency of quantum histories) in extracting consistent quantum probabilities for alternative histories in quantum cosmology. Specifically, within a Wheeler-DeWitt quantization of a…
Inspired by quantum cosmology, in which the wave function of the universe is annihilated by the total Hamiltonian, we consider the internal dynamics of a simple particle system in an energy eigenstate. Such a system does not possess a…
We formulate a ''minimal'' interpretational scheme for fairly general (minisuperspace) quantum cosmological models. Admitting as few exact mathematical structure as is reasonably possible at the fundamental level, we apply approximate…
The decoherent histories approach to quantum theory is applied to a class of reparametrization invariant models, which includes systems described by the Klein-Gordon equation, and by a minisuperspace Wheeler-DeWitt equation. A key step in…
The Klein-Gordon equation is a useful test arena for quantum cosmological models described by the Wheeler-DeWitt equation. We use the decoherent histories approach to quantum theory to obtain the probability that a free relativistic…
The decoherent histories approach is a natural medium in which to address problems in quantum theory which involve time in a non-trivial way. This article reviews the various attempts and difficulties involved in using the decoherent…
Inspired by Mott's (1929) analysis of particle tracks in a cloud chamber, we consider a simple model for quantum cosmology which includes, in the total Hamiltonian, model detectors registering whether or not the system, at any stage in its…
One of the main interest in quantum cosmology is to determine boundary conditions for the wave function of the universe which can predict observational data of our universe. For this purpose, we solve the Wheeler-DeWitt equation for a…
It is well-known that the standard WKB approximation fails to provide semiclassical solutions in the vicinity of turning points. However, turning points arise in many cosmological scenarios. In a previous work, we obtained a new class of…
We review the application of the consistent (or decoherent) histories formulation of quantum theory to canonical loop quantum cosmology. Conventional quantum theory relies crucially on "measurements" to convert unrealized quantum…
We consider the classical minisuperspace model describing a closed, homogeneous and isotropic Universe, with a positive cosmological constant. Upon canonical quantization, the infinite number of possible operator orderings in the quantum…
The Hawking minisuperspace model (closed FRW geometry with a homogeneous massive scalar field) provides a fairly non-trivial testing ground for fundamental problems in quantum cosmology. We provide evidence that the Wheeler-DeWitt equation…
For a FRW-spacetime coupled to an arbitrary real scalar field, we endow the solution space of the associated Wheeler-DeWitt equation with a Hilbert-space structure, construct the observables, and introduce the physical wave functions of the…
Selection of physically meaningful solutions of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation for the wavefunction in quantum cosmology, can be attained by a reduction of the theory to the sector of true physical degrees of freedom and their canonical…
The question of the interpretation of Wheeler-DeWitt solutions in the context of cosmological models is addressed by implementing the Hamiltonian constraint as a spinor wave equation in minisuperspace. We offer a relative probability…
A fundamental issue for any quantum cosmological theory is to specify how probabilities can be assigned to various quantum events or sequences of events such as the occurrence of singularities or bounces. In previous work, we have…
We study ambiguities in the precise formulation of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation for the wavefunction of the Universe that arise due to different operator orderings in the quantum Hamiltonian. We first examine the simpler case of the…
We consider the problem of extracting physical predictions from the wave function of the universe in quantum cosmological models. We state the features of quantum cosmology an interpretational scheme should confront. We discuss the Everett…