New ekpyrotic quantum cosmology
Ekpyrotic instantons describe the emergence of classical contracting universes out of the no-boundary quantum state. However, up to now these instantons ended in a big crunch singularity. We remedy this by adding a higher-derivative term, allowing a ghost condensate to form. This causes a smooth, no...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2015-11-01
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| Series: | Physics Letters B |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269315007078 |
| _version_ | 1811258719801966592 |
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| author | Jean-Luc Lehners |
| author_facet | Jean-Luc Lehners |
| author_sort | Jean-Luc Lehners |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ekpyrotic instantons describe the emergence of classical contracting universes out of the no-boundary quantum state. However, up to now these instantons ended in a big crunch singularity. We remedy this by adding a higher-derivative term, allowing a ghost condensate to form. This causes a smooth, non-singular bounce from the contracting phase into an expanding, kinetic-dominated phase. Remarkably, and although there is a non-trivial evolution during the bounce, the wavefunction of the universe is “classical” in a WKB sense just as much after the bounce as before. These new non-singular instantons can thus form the basis for a fully non-singular and calculable ekpyrotic history of the universe, from creation until now. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:17:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5a5825e659c347a3a2c585f34445013f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0370-2693 1873-2445 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:17:39Z |
| publishDate | 2015-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physics Letters B |
| spelling | doaj.art-5a5825e659c347a3a2c585f34445013f2022-12-22T03:21:32ZengElsevierPhysics Letters B0370-26931873-24452015-11-01750C24224610.1016/j.physletb.2015.09.032New ekpyrotic quantum cosmologyJean-Luc LehnersEkpyrotic instantons describe the emergence of classical contracting universes out of the no-boundary quantum state. However, up to now these instantons ended in a big crunch singularity. We remedy this by adding a higher-derivative term, allowing a ghost condensate to form. This causes a smooth, non-singular bounce from the contracting phase into an expanding, kinetic-dominated phase. Remarkably, and although there is a non-trivial evolution during the bounce, the wavefunction of the universe is “classical” in a WKB sense just as much after the bounce as before. These new non-singular instantons can thus form the basis for a fully non-singular and calculable ekpyrotic history of the universe, from creation until now.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269315007078 |
| spellingShingle | Jean-Luc Lehners New ekpyrotic quantum cosmology Physics Letters B |
| title | New ekpyrotic quantum cosmology |
| title_full | New ekpyrotic quantum cosmology |
| title_fullStr | New ekpyrotic quantum cosmology |
| title_full_unstemmed | New ekpyrotic quantum cosmology |
| title_short | New ekpyrotic quantum cosmology |
| title_sort | new ekpyrotic quantum cosmology |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269315007078 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jeanluclehners newekpyroticquantumcosmology |