Related papers: The Boundary Proposal
We compute, from first principles, the quantum fluctuations about instanton saddle points of the Euclidean path integral for Einstein gravity coupled to a scalar field. The Euclidean two-point correlator is analytically continued into the…
In the derivation of the Einstein field equations via Hamilton's principle, the inclusion of a boundary term is essential to render the variational problem well-posed, as it addresses variations that do not vanish at the boundary of the…
We find a class of solutions for a homogeneous and isotropic universe in which the initially expanding universe stops expanding, experiences contraction, and then expands again (the "bounce"), in the framework of Einstein gravity with a…
Quantum cosmology aims at elucidating the beginning of our Universe. Back in early 80's, Vilenkin and Hartle-Hawking put forward the "tunneling from nothing" and "no boundary" proposals. Recently there has been renewed interest in this…
We study bubble of nothing decays and their reverse processes, the creation of vacua through `bubbles of something', in models of the Universe based on string theory. From the four-dimensional perspective, the corresponding gravitational…
The Cobordism Conjecture states that any Quantum Gravity configuration admits, at topological level, a boundary ending spacetime. We study the dynamical realization of cobordism, as spacetime dependent solutions of Einstein gravity coupled…
When the semi-positive cosmological constant is dynamical, the naive Euclidean Einstein action is unbounded from below and the Hartle-Hawking wavefunction of the universe is not normalizable. With the inclusion of back-reaction (a crucial…
In this paper, I discuss the idea that the birth of our Universe may be a result of a quantum transition from a physical continuum with the Euclidean signature to a Lorentzian spacetime. A similar idea was expressed by Andrei D. Sakharov.…
We propose that the Universe created from "nothing" with relatively small particles number and quickly relaxed to quasiequilibrium state at the Planck parameters. The classic cosmological solution for this Universe with Lambda-term has two…
The early history of the universe might be described by a topological phase followed by a standard second phase of Einstein gravity. To study this scenario in its full generality, we consider a four-manifold of Euclidean signature in the…
We apply the complex de Broglie-Bohm formulation of quantum mechanics [1] to a spatially closed homogeneous and isotropic early Universe whose matter content are radiation and dust perfect fluids. We then show that an expanding classical…
We consider two quantum cosmological models with a massive scalar field: an ordinary Friedmann universe and a universe containing primordial black holes. For both models we discuss the complex solutions to the Euclidean Einstein equations.…
The exact solution of the Hamiltonian constraint in canonical gravity and the resultant reduction of Einstein's theory reveal the synergy between gravitation and the intrinsic cosmic clock of our expanding universe. Intrinsic Time…
Observations of the cosmic microwave sky are revealing the primordial non-uniformities from which all structure in the Universe grew. The only known physical mechanism for generating the inhomogeneities we see involves the amplification of…
We investigate multi-dimensional universe with nonlinear scalar curvature terms to evaluate the probability of creation of primordial black holes. For this we obtain Euclidean instanton solution in two different topologies: (a) $S^{D-1}$ -…
It is known that the no-boundary proposal in the traditional Einstein gravity does not prefer inflation, that is, the probability of realizing a large number of e-folds is exponentially suppressed. This situation may be changed drastically…
We study canonical quantization of a closed Euclidean universe with a cosmological constant and a massless scalar field. The closed Euclidean universe with an ordinary matter state can be matched at a finite radius only with the closed…
In this review article we compare the recent work of Peter Lynds, "On a finite universe with no beginning or end", with that of Stephen Hawking, primarily "Quantum Cosmology, M-Theory, and the Anthropic Principle", and two foundational…
Vacuum decay in de Sitter space is a process of great physical interest, as it allows to rule out cosmological models in the early and current Universe. Its rate may be described in terms of an instanton in Euclidean space called bounce and…
Recently it was proposed to explain the dynamical origin of the entropy of a black hole by identifying its dynamical degrees of freedom with states of quantum fields propagating in the black-hole's interior. The present paper contains the…