Tunneling of Macroscopic Universes
Heinz-Dieter Conradi (RWTH-Aachen, Germany)
TL;DR
This paper examines the concept of tunneling in quantum cosmology, analyzing a recent proposal of macroscopic universe tunneling through a local process in an anisotropic and inhomogeneous model, challenging the interpretation of universe tunneling.
Contribution
It clarifies the meaning of tunneling in quantum cosmology and critically analyzes the notion of macroscopic universe tunneling in a complex toy model.
Findings
Inhomogeneous tunneling is a local process.
The proposed universe tunneling interpretation is challenged.
Tunneling cannot be straightforwardly applied to the entire universe.
Abstract
The meaning of `tunneling' in a timeless theory such as quantum cosmology is discussed. A recent suggestion of `tunneling' of the macroscopic universe at the classical turning point is analyzed in an anisotropic and inhomogeneous toy model. This `inhomogeneous tunneling' is a local process which cannot be interpreted as a tunneling of the universe.
Peer Reviews
No public reviews on file for this paper yet. If you reviewed it on a platform where reviews are public (OpenReview, ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML), you can paste yours below so the community can read it here.
Videos
No videos yet. Explain this paper in a talk, walkthrough, or lecture? Add one.