The State of the Universe (original) (raw)
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On the Initial State of the Universe
It is argued that the initial state of the universe is neither a highentropy equilibrium state nor a special low-entropy state, but a quantum superposition of high-entropy states and low-entropy states, and the sum of the squared amplitudes of the low-entropy states is most likely close to zero. In this case, the thermodynamic arrow of time in our universe can still be accounted for by the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. This provides a new solution to the puzzle of the arrow of time.
On the quantum description of the early universe
Revista Mexicana de Física E, 2020
Why is it interesting to try to understand the origin of the universe? Everything we observe today, including our existence, arose from that event. Although we still do not have a theory that allows us to describe the origin itself, the study of the very early era of the universe involves the ideal terrain to analyze the interface between two of today’s most successful physical theories, General Relativity and Quantum physics. But it is also an area in which we have a large number of observational data to test our theoretical ideas. Two of the fathers of Quantum physics, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, shared some thoughts that could be described with these words: Quantum physics tells us that there is a line between the observed and the observer, and therefore science should be limited to what is observed. We must give up a complete, objective and realistic theory of the world. This article will orbit around these ideas and summarizes how it is that today, from recent works, we a...
Theory of Universe 1: Quantum Demystification
viXra, 2021
In this paper, I will propose a new theory to explain everything in our 1 Universe 2. The view/theory described in this paper will show that the secret behind the Universe is much simpler than we think, and it is fundamentally classical. Initially, I wanted to cover everything in a single paper. But the text started to get enormous and clumsy, so I decided to split it into three parts. And this is the first part of the series where I will explain the new theory and apply it to some quantum phenomena to prove how well this theory addresses quantum theory's mysteries and the Universe itself. I will conclude the paper by representing the inanimate 3 Universe using a simple equation, = # é In part-2 of this paper series, I will cover some of the misconception introduced by Einstein's theories. Especially the spacetime concept, which I like to call Einstein's catastrophe 4. Part-3 is a prequel to the theory introduced in this paper. 1 I believe in more than one Universe, and I don't want to assume they also follow the same fundamental principles. I will also refer to our Universe as "the Universe" in the rest of the paper. 2 Even though both consciousness and soul do play a significant part in the events of the Universe, I think they are not part of the Universe. 3 In terms of biology, one could argue the Universe is a living organism as it exhibits the features of growth, order, sensitivity, reproduction etc. But in this paper series, I will treat it as non-living. 4 The name comes from the fact that the cosmic catastrophe thought experiment led him to invent the General Theory of Relativity and Spacetime concepts.
The Future of Quantum Cosmology
This is a transcript of a lecture given by Professor S. W. Hawking for the NATO ASI conference. Professor Hawking is the Lucasian Professor at the University o f C a m bridge, England.
The creation of the universe as a quantum phenomenon
Annals of Physics, 1978
Quantum creation of massy particles can occur in the cosmological context without cost of energy. This fact is seized upon to construct a causal open homogeneous isotropic cosmology. The universe is conceived as the response of matter and the gravitational field to a spontaneous pointlike disturbance. Its history unfolds in two stages, creation and free expansion. The first stage gives rise to a "fireball." The free expansion is extrapolated back to the "fireball." The latter thus replaces the "big-bang," thereby avoiding an initial singularity. Though not intrinsic to the theory it does suggest the interpretation of the cosmological part of the gravitational field as the scalar dilaton that is encountered in the dynamical generation of mass in conformally invariant theory.
The day the universes interacted: quantum cosmology without a wave function
The European Physical Journal C, 2019
In this article we present a new outlook on the cosmology, based on the quantum model proposed by Michael and Hall (Phys Rev X 4(1–17):041013, 2014). In continuation of the idea of that model we consider finitely many classical homogeneous and isotropic universes whose evolutions are determined by the standard Einstein–Friedmann equations but that also interact with each other quantum-mechanically via the mechanism proposed in Michael and Hall [1]. The crux of the idea lies in the fact that unlike every other interpretation of the quantum mechanics, the Hall, Deckert and Wiseman model requires no decoherence mechanism and thus allows the quantum mechanical effects to manifest themselves not just on micro-scale, but on a cosmological scale as well. We further demonstrate that the addition of this new quantum-mechanical interaction lead to a number of interesting cosmological predictions, and might even provide natural physical explanations for the phenomena of “dark matter” and “phan...
2010
This short review is addressed to cosmologists. 1 General relativity predicts that space-time comes to an end and physics comes to a halt at the big-bang. Recent developments in loop quantum cosmology have shown that these predictions cannot be trusted. Quantum geometry effects can resolve singularities, thereby opening new vistas. Examples are: The big bang is replaced by a quantum bounce; the 'horizon problem' disappears; immediately after the big bounce, there is a super-inflationary phase with its own phenomenological ramifications; and, in presence of a standard inflaton potential, initial conditions are naturally set for a long, slow roll inflation independently of what happens in the pre-big bang branch.
On the Meaning of the Wave Function of the Universe
International Journal of Modern Physics D
The meaning of the wave function of the Universe was actively discussed in 1980s. In most works on quantum cosmology, it is accepted that the wave function is a probability amplitude for the Universe to have some space geometry, or to be found in some point of the Wheeler superspace. It seems that the wave function gives maximally objective description compatible with quantum theory. However, the probability distribution does not depend on time and does not take into account the existing of our macroscopic evolving Universe. What we wish to know is how quantum processes in the Early Universe determined the state of the present Universe in which we are able to observe macroscopic consequences of these quantum processes. As an alternative to the Wheeler–DeWitt quantum geometrodynamics, we consider the picture that can be obtained in the extended phase space approach to quantization of gravity. The wave function in this approach describes different states of the Universe which correspo...
The Quantum Origins of Our Universe
2021
This article glances over three theoretical frameworks that make an attempt at describing the origins of our Universe: Chaotic Eternal Inflation, the Cyclic Model, and the No Boundary Proposal.