273 citations · 2.2k across the 75 of their papers we have counts for
6 papers · 1 filter
Why did the Universe Start from a Low Entropy State?
R. Holman, L. Mersini-Houghton
In previous work, we showed that the answer to the question posed in the title cannot be found within an equilibrium setting. The inclusion of {\em dynamical} backreaction effects…
A Fly in the SOUP
R. Holman, L. Mersini-Houghton
We investigate the Selection of Original Universe Proposal (SOUP) of Tye et al. and show that as it stands, this proposal is flawed. The corrections to the Euclidean gravity action…
Why the Universe Started from a Low Entropy State
R. Holman, L. Mersini-Houghton
We show that the inclusion of backreaction of massive long wavelengths imposes dynamical constraints on the allowed phase space of initial conditions for inflation, which results i…
An effective theory of initial conditions in inflation
Hael Collins, R. Holman
We examine the renormalization of an effective theory description of a general initial state set in an isotropically expanding space-time, which is done to understand how to includ…
Boundary Localized Symmetry Breaking and Topological Defects
R. Holman, Matthew R. Martin
We discuss the structure of topological defects in the context of extra dimensions where the symmetry breaking terms are localized. These defects develop structure in the extra dim…
Renormalization of initial conditions and the trans-Planckian problem of inflation
Hael Collins, R. Holman
Understanding how a field theory propagates the information contained in a given initial state is essential for quantifying the sensitivity of the cosmic microwave background to ph…