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A local Wheeler-DeWitt measure for the string landscape

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According to the ‘Cosmological Central Dogma’, de Sitter space can be viewed as a quantum mechanical system with a finite number of degrees of freedom, set by the horizon area. We use this assumption together with the Wheeler-DeWitt (WDW) equation to approach the measure problem of eternal inflation...

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Main Authors: Friedrich, Bjoern (Author) , Hebecker, Arthur (Author) , Salmhofer, Manfred (Author) , Strauß, Jonah Cedric (Author) , Walcher, Johannes (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: July 2023
In: Nuclear physics. B, Particle physics
Year: 2023, Volume: 992, Pages: 1-36
ISSN:1873-1562
DOI:10.1016/j.nuclphysb.2023.116230
Online Access:Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nuclphysb.2023.116230
Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0550321323001591
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Author Notes:Bjoern Friedrich, Arthur Hebecker, Manfred Salmhofer, Jonah Cedric Strauß, Johannes Walcher
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Summary:According to the ‘Cosmological Central Dogma’, de Sitter space can be viewed as a quantum mechanical system with a finite number of degrees of freedom, set by the horizon area. We use this assumption together with the Wheeler-DeWitt (WDW) equation to approach the measure problem of eternal inflation. Thus, our goal is to find a time-independent wave function of the universe on a total Hilbert space defined as the direct sum of a variety of subspaces: A finite-dimensional subspace for each de Sitter vacuum and an infinite-dimensional subspace for each terminal Minkowski or AdS vacuum. We argue that, to be consistent with semiclassical intuition, such a solution requires the presence of sources. These are implemented as an inhomogenous term in the WDW equation, induced by the Hartle-Hawking no-boundary or the Linde/Vilenkin tunneling proposal. Taken together, these steps unambiguously lead to what we would like to think of as a ‘Local WDW measure,’ where ‘local’ refers to the fact that the dS part of the resulting wave function describes a superposition of static patches. The global 3-sphere spatial section of the entire multiverse makes no appearance.
Item Description:Online veröffentlicht am 15. Mai 2023, Artikelversion vom 22. Mai 2023
Gesehen am 13.12.2023
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:1873-1562
DOI:10.1016/j.nuclphysb.2023.116230

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