Initial conditions and quantum cosmologyA theory of initial conditions is necessary for a complete explanation of the presently observed large scale structural features of the universe, and a quantum theory of cosmology is probably needed for its formulation. The kinematics of quantum cosmology are reviewed, and some candidates for a law of initial conditions are discussed. The proposal that the quantum state of a closed universe is the natural analog of the ground state for closed cosmologies and is specified by a Euclidean sum over histories is sketched. When implemented in simple models, this proposal is consistent with the most important large-scale observations.
Document ID
19880027150
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Hartle, James B. (California, University Santa Barbara, United States)