Towards String Theory models of DeSitter Space and early Universe Cosmology

Abstract

String theory is arguably the best candidate for a theory of quantum gravity and unified interactions. Reconciling Einstein's theory of General Relativity with Quantum Mechanics. The theory however is best understood on Minkowski and Anti-de Sitter space-times, and not on exponentially expanding space-times with positive cosmological constant, like our own universe. There is still no satisfactory formulation of String Theory on these so called asymptotically de Sitter space times. In this thesis I will discuss certain avenues of progress towards a String Theory formulation of de Sitter space-times. Specifically, how understanding of the analytic continuations of Liouville Theory and how to gauge-fix it in the Timelike regime will aid in the understanding of the proposed FRW-CFT duality of de Sitter space. It is also discussed how non-trivial topology effects proposed Chern-Simons Matter duals of Vasiliev Higher Spin gravity theories which are important in the dS-CFT description of de Sitter Space.

arXiv commentPhD Thesis, Stanford University, Submitted August 2013 Accepted September 2013, (Leonard Susskind Principal Advisor) (Leonard Susskind, Stephen H. Shenker, Shamit Kachru, Reading Committee), 307 Pages, 14 Figures, 1 table Stanford Libraries http://purl.stanford.edu/cy190vg0911, some minor grammatical corrections and citations added