No-boundary θ sectors in spatially flat quantum cosmology

Domenico Giulini and Jorma Louko
Phys. Rev. D 46, 4355 – Published 15 November 1992
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Abstract

Gravitational θ sectors are investigated in spatially locally homogeneous cosmological models with flat closed spatial surfaces in 2+1 and 3+1 spacetime dimensions. The metric ansatz is kept in its most general form compatible with Hamiltonian minisuperspace dynamics. Nontrivial θ sectors admitting a semiclassical no-boundary wave function are shown to exist only in 3+1 dimensions, and there only for two spatial topologies. In both cases the spatial surface is nonorientable and the nontrivial no-boundary θ sector unique. In 2+1 dimensions the nonexistence of nontrivial no-boundary θ sectors is shown to be of topological origin and thus to transcend both the semiclassical approximation and the minisuperspace ansatz. The relation to the necessary condition given by Hartle and Witt for the existence of no-boundary θ states is discussed.

  • Received 11 February 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.46.4355

©1992 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Domenico Giulini*

  • Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder Strasse 3, D-W-7800 Freiburg, Germany

Jorma Louko

  • Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244-1130

  • *Electronic address: giulini@sun1.ruf.uni-freiburg.de
  • Electronic address: louko@suhep

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Vol. 46, Iss. 10 — 15 November 1992

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