Related papers: Expanding and contracting universes in third quant…
We consider conditions under which a universe contracting towards a big crunch can make a transition to an expanding big bang universe. A promising example is 11-dimensional M-theory in which the eleventh dimension collapses, bounces, and…
Recently a phenomenological relationship for the observed cosmological constant has been discussed by Motl and Carroll in the context of treating the cosmological constant as a $2\times 2$ matrix but no specific realization of the idea was…
We present a detailed account of the isomonodromic quantization of dimensionally reduced Einstein gravity with two commuting Killing vectors. This theory constitutes an integrable ``midi-superspace" version of quantum gravity with…
We show that cosmological observables can constrain the topology of the compact additional dimensions predicted by string theory. To do this, we develop a general strategy for relating cosmological observables to the microscopic parameters…
We consider the conformally-invariant coupling of topologically massive gravity to a dynamical massless scalar field theory on a three-manifold with boundary. We show that, in the phase of spontaneously broken Lorentz and Weyl symmetries,…
We consider two-dimensional quantum gravity endowed with a positive cosmological constant and coupled to a conformal field theory of large and positive central charge. We study cosmological properties at the classical and quantum level. We…
We discuss quotients of Anti-de Sitter (AdS) spacetime by a discrete group in light of the AdS-CFT correspondence. Some quotients describe closed universes which expand from zero volume to a maximum size and then contract. Maldacena's…
We suggest a conformally invariant generalization of string theory to higher-dimensional objects. As such a model, we consider a conformally invariant $\sigma$ model. For this theory, the Hamiltonian formalism is constructed, and the full…
The spacetime physics of bulk closed string tachyon condensation is studied at the level of a two-derivative effective action. We derive the unique perturbative tachyon potential consistent with a full class of linearized tachyonic…
In this paper we investigate dynamics of the modified loop quantum cosmology models using dynamical systems methods. Modifications considered come from the choice of the different field strength operator $\hat{F}$ and result in different…
We study the low energy string effective action with an exponential type dilaton potential and vanishing torsion in a Bianchi type I space-time geometry. In the Einstein and string frames the general solution of the gravitational field…
We consider a phenomenological modification of the Pre Big Bang scenario using ideas from the resolution of curvature singularities in Loop Quantum Cosmology. We show that non-perturbative Loop modifications to the dynamics, arising from…
In a former paper we proposed a model for the quantization of gravity by working in a bundle $E$ where we realized the Hamilton constraint as the Wheeler-DeWitt equation. However, the corresponding operator only acts in the fibers and not…
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…
We show that a `QCD dilaton' field, whose vacuum expectation value sets the strong coupling, can render the Quantum Chromodynamic (QCD) confinement transition first-order. The QCD dilaton is cosmologically attracted to a false vacuum at…
We extend the treatment of quantum cosmology to a manifold with torsion. We adopt a model of Einstein-Cartan-Sciama-Kibble compatible with the cosmological principle. The universe wavefunction will be subject to a $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric…
We investigate the emergence of a quantum Big-Bounce in the context of an isotropic Universe, filled by a self-interacting scalar field, which plays the role of a physical clock. The bouncing cosmology is the result of a scattering process,…
A Hamiltonian analysis of models given by a three-form field with a generic potential coupled to general relativity in four dimensions is performed. This kind of fields are naturally present in string theory and cosmological scenarios. In…
One of the interesting open problems in the cosmological framework is applying quantum physics to the whole universe, consistently. Although different conceptual aspects of quantum cosmology are still very much alive, till now, all the…
Using a particular Hilbert space representation of minimum-length deformed quantum mechanics, we show that the resolution of the wave-function singularities for strongly attractive potentials, as well as cosmological singularity in the…