Quantum Cosmology: Effective Theory

Abstract

Quantum cosmology has traditionally been studied at the level of symmetry-reduced minisuperspace models, analyzing the behavior of wave functions. However, in the absence of a complete full setting of quantum gravity and detailed knowledge of specific properties of quantum states, it remained difficult to make testable predictions. For quantum cosmology to be part of empirical science, it must allow for a systematic framework in which corrections to well-tested classical equations can be derived, with any ambiguities and ignorance sufficiently parameterized. As in particle and condensed-matter physics, a successful viewpoint is one of effective theories, adapted to specific issues one encounters in quantum cosmology. This review presents such an effective framework of quantum cosmology, taking into account, among other things, space-time structures, covariance, the problem of time and the anomaly issue.

75 pages, 3 figures, Invited Topical Review

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Cited by in corpus (11)

• Inflationary cosmology in modified gravity theories
• A Critical Review of Classical Bouncing Cosmologies
• The Cosmic Microwave Background: The history of its experimental investigation and its significance for cosmology
• Singularity avoidance in quantum-inspired inhomogeneous dust collapse
• Statistical moments for classical and quantum dynamics: formalism and generalized uncertainty relations
• Classical and quantum behavior of the harmonic and the quartic oscillators
• Non-linear (loop) quantum cosmology
• Our Universe from the cosmological constant
• Fluctuation energies in quantum cosmology
• Classical versus quantum evolution for a universe with a positive cosmological constant
• Unitary and non-unitary transitions around a cosmological bounce