Quantization of the massless minimally coupled scalar field and the dS/CFT correspondence

TL;DR

This paper explores the quantization of the massless minimally coupled scalar field in de Sitter space, extending the dS/CFT correspondence to include this case and addressing the zero mode issue, with implications for quantum gravity.

Contribution

It extends Strominger's dS/CFT correspondence to massless scalar fields in de Sitter space, providing a new interpretation via Euclidean CFT and addressing zero mode challenges.

Findings

De Sitter invariant vacuum state identified via no-boundary Euclidean prescription.

Extension of dS/CFT correspondence to massless scalar fields in de Sitter space.

Implications for understanding quantum gravity in de Sitter spacetime.

Abstract

We consider the quantization of the massless minimally coupled scalar field in de Sitter spacetime. The no-boundary Euclidean prescription naturally picks out the de Sitter invariant vacuum state of Kirsten and Garriga. We extend Strominger's dS/CFT correspondence to this case which allows us to interpret the massless field in terms of a Euclidean CFT. The extension is non-trivial and requires careful treatment of the zero mode. Since the graviton is massless, this work may also be considered a step towards a theory of gravity in de Sitter space.