Cosmological quantum tunneling and holographic principle

TL;DR

This paper explores quantum tunneling of the universe's ground state via gravitational instantons, calculating tunneling rates in higher dimensions and relating them to the holographic principle and maximal entropy.

Contribution

It provides a calculation of quantum tunneling rates for higher-dimensional universes and links these rates to holographic entropy bounds in four dimensions.

Findings

Tunneling rate depends on universe dimensionality.

Holographic principle constrains tunneling rate via entropy.

Quantum tunneling influences early universe conditions.

Abstract

The probable trajectory of the ground state wave function of the universe arises through a quantum tunneling by gravitational instantons. We calculate the quantum tunneling rate for a $n>2$ dimensional closed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe with a positive cosmological constant. In four dimensions, by using of the holographic principle, the tunneling rate is related to the maximal entropy of the early universe after quantum tunneling.