Related papers: Duality and Cosmology
We present a model of the expanding Universe that begins in a zero energy vacuum state. The Universe results from the spontaneous breaking of the electroweak symmetry, wherein the vacuum with positive expectation energy produces the dark…
The basic idea and some physical implications of nonlinear supersymmetric general relativity (NLSUSY GR) are discussed, which give new insights into the origin of mass and the mysterious relations between the cosmology and the low energy…
After reviewing briefly the classical examples of duality in four dimensional field theory we present a generalisation to arbitrary dimensions and to p-form fields. Then we explain how U-duality may become part of a larger non abelian…
The theories of quantum mechanics and relativity dramatically altered our understanding of the universe ushering in the era of modern physics. Quantum theory deals with objects probabilistically at small scales, whereas relativity deals…
The idea of extra-dimensions has recently gone through a renewal with the hypothesis, suggested by recent developments in string theory, that ordinary matter is confined to a sub-space, called brane, embedded in a higher dimensional…
A two boundary quantum mechanics without time ordered causal structure is advocated as consistent theory. The apparent causal structure of usual "near future" macroscopic phenomena is attributed to a cosmological asymmetry and to rules…
In the context of field theory two elements seem to be necessary to search for strong-weak coupling duality. First, a gauge theory formulation and second, supersymmetry. For gravitation these two elements are present in MacDowell-Mansouri…
Quantum cosmology in general denotes the application of quantum physics to the whole universe and thus gives rise to many realizations and examples, covering problems at different mathematical and conceptual levels. It is related to quantum…
One-dimensional quantum systems admit duality relations that put hard core spinless bosons and fermions in one-to-one correspondence via Girardeau's mapping theorem. The simplest models of soft bosons interacting via zero-range potentials…
The cosmological constant problem is principally concerned with trying to understand how the zero-point energy of quantum fields contributes to gravity. Here we take the approach that by addressing a fundamental unresolved issue in quantum…
It is shown that spatially flat, isotropic cosmologies derived from the Brans--Dicke gravity action exhibit a scale factor duality invariance. This classical duality is then associated with a hidden $N=2$ supersymmetry at the quantum level…
The concept of duality reflects a link between two seemingly different physical objects. An example in quantum mechanics is a situation where the spectra (or their parts) of two Hamiltonians go into each other under a certain…
This thesis discusses various aspects of duality in quantum field theory and string theory. In the first part we consider duality in topological quantum field theories, concentrating on the Donaldson and Seiberg-Witten theories as (dual)…
The accelerated expansion of the universe demands presence of an exotic matter, namely the dark energy. Though the cosmological constant fits this role very well, a scalar field minimally coupled to gravity, or quintessence, can also be…
Even when completely and consistently formulated, a fundamental theory of physics and cosmological boundary conditions may not give unambiguous and unique predictions for the universe we observe; indeed inflation, string/M theory, and…
In string theory, the traditional picture of a Universe that emerges from the inflation of a very small and highly curved space-time patch is a possibility, not a necessity: quite different initial conditions are possible, and not…
The Einstein equations for an isotropic and homogeneous Friedmann--Robertson--Walker Universe in the presence of a quintessence scalar field are shown to be described in a unified way, formally identical to the dynamics of a relativistic…
In this paper within the scope of FRW cosmology for k = 0, \pm1 we study the dynamics of the universe for a cosmological model with a scalar field nonminimally coupled to matter. By best- fitting the model parameters with the observational…
The semi-classical approach to the quantum geometrodynamical model is used for the description of the properties of the universe on extremely small spacetime scales. Quantum theory for a homogeneous, isotropic and closed universe is…
Recently the vacuum structure of a large class of four dimensional (supersymmetric) quantum field theories was determined exactly. These theories exhibit a wide range of interesting new physical phenomena. One of the main new insights is…