Related papers: The Boundary Proposal
We suggest a novel picture of the quantum Universe -- its creation is described by the {\em density matrix} defined by the Euclidean path integral. This yields an ensemble of universes -- a cosmological landscape -- in a mixed state which…
Nothing---the absence of spacetime---can be either an endpoint of tunneling, as in the bubble of nothing, or a starting point for tunneling, as in the quantum creation of a universe. We argue that these two tunnelings can be treated within…
It has recently been suggested, by Firouzjahi, Sarangi, and Tye, that string-motivated modifications of the Hartle-Hawking wave function predict that our Universe came into existence from "nothing" with a de Sitter-like spacetime geometry…
In this paper, we delve into the gravitational path integral of Gauss-Bonnet gravity in four spacetime dimensions, in the mini-superspace approximation. Our primary focus lies in investigating the transition amplitude between distinct…
We present a non-singular instanton describing the creation of an open universe with a compactified extra dimension. The four dimensional section of this solution is a singular instanton of the type introduced by Hawking and Turok. The…
It is proposed that space is a four-dimensional Euclidean space with universal time. Originally this space was filled with a uniform substance, pictured as a liquid, which at some time became supercooled. Our universe began as a nucleation…
Within the framework of flux compactifications, we construct an instanton describing the quantum creation of an open universe from nothing. The solution has many features in common with the smooth 6d bubble of nothing solutions discussed…
We review aspects of the Hartle-Hawking no boundary geometry in the context of slow roll inflation. We give an analytic approximation to the geometry and we explain the rationale for the proposal. We also explain why it gives a prediction…
We study some gravitational instanton solutions that offer a natural realization of the spontaneous creation of inflationary universes in the brane world context in string theory. Decoherence due to couplings of higher (perturbative) modes…
A discrete class of privileged reference frames in a closed universe with identical equations of motion for physical degrees of freedom was found. A representation of the quantum state of the universe in a privileged reference frame was…
We investigate the cosmological observables using the Euclidean path integral approach. Specifically, we study both the no-boundary compact instantons scenario and the Euclidean wormholes scenario that can induce the creation of two…
Motivated by the recent development in quantum cosmology, we revisit the anisotropic Kantowski-Sachs model in the light of a Lorentzian path integral formalism. Studies so far have considered the Euclidean method where the choice of the…
This paper proposes a new avenue for understanding the cosmological singularity. The standard cosmological model contains a generic initial singularity usually referred to as the {\em big bang}. Herein, we present a novel idea to extend the…
Many cosmological models assume or imply that the total size of the universe is very large, perhaps even infinite. Here we argue instead that the universe might be comparatively small, in fact not much larger than the currently observed…
We consider the quantum creation of a universe with flat spatial sections and the topology of a 3-torus, taking into account the effect of Casimir energy. We show that the corresponding instantons are singular. Since these instantons…
The limited velocity implied by Lorentzian signature, prevents the universe to reach thermodynamic equilibrium implied by the CMB. Rapid expansion can occur by following Hawking and assuming a primordial Euclidean metric, in which case…
We elucidate the nature of the correction to the Hartle-Hawking wavefunction presented in hep-th/$0505104$ and hep-th/$0406107$. The correction comes from the quantum fluctuation of the metric that spontaneously breaks the classical…
We consider a non singular origin for the Universe starting from an Einstein static Universe in the framework of a theory which uses two volume elements $\sqrt{-{g}}d^{4}x$ and $\Phi d^{4}x$, where $\Phi $ is a metric independent density,…
A scenario is proposed in which the matter-antimatter asymmetry behaves like a seed for the inflationary phase of the universe. The mechanism which makes this scenario plausible is the holographic principle: this scheme is supported by a…
We develop our recent suggestion that inflation may be made past eternal, so that there is no initial cosmological singularity or "beginning of time". Inflation with multiple vacua generically approaches a steady-state statistical…