Monday 8 March, 2:30 pm, Curia II

Marvin Weinstein (SLAC, Stanford))

Quantized Cosmology

Abstract:
The problem of inflation is formulated in the context of  Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology and quantized in a way which parallels the classical  discussion. Two of the Einstein equations arise as Heisenberg equations of motion, but the Friedmann equation, which classically is a constraint which defines physical solutions, acquires a welcome quantum correction.  The  general formalism is clarified by application to the case of de Sitter space, where I show that the welcome additional terms in the quantum version of the Friedmann equation eliminate the problem of the big crunch. I finally  discuss the possible existence of measurable corrections to the anisotropy in the CMB radiation due to these quantum effects.