Naturalness in Cosmological Initial Conditions

We propose a novel approach to the problem of constraining cosmological initial conditions. Within the framework of effective field theory, we classify initial conditions in terms of boundary terms added to the effective action describing the cosmological evolution below Planckian energies. These boundary terms can be thought of as spacelike branes which may support extra instantaneous degrees of freedom and extra operators. Interactions and renormalization of these boundary terms allow us to apply to the boundary terms the field-theoretical requirement of naturalness, i.e. stability under radiative corrections. We apply this requirement to slow-roll inflation with non-adiabatic initial conditions, and to cyclic cosmology. This allows us to define in a precise sense when some of these models are fine-tuned. We also describe how to parametrize in a model-independent way non-Gaussian initial conditions; we show that in some cases they are both potentially observable and pass our naturalness requirement.Comment: 35 pages, 8 figure

Simplest cosmological model with the scalar field II. Influence of cosmological constant

Continuing the investigation of the simplest cosmological model with the massive real scalar non-interacting inflaton field minimally coupled to gravity we study an influence of the cosmological constant on the behaviour of trajectories in closed minisuperspace Friedmann-Robertson-Walker model. The transition from chaotic to regular behaviour for large values of cosmological constant is discussed. Combining numerical calculations with qualitative analysis both in configuration and phase space we present a convenient classification of trajectories.Comment: 12 pages with 2 gif figures and 2 eps figures, mprocl.sty, To appear in International Journal of Modern Physics

Describing general cosmological singularities in Iwasawa variables

Belinskii, Khalatnikov, and Lifshitz (BKL) conjectured that the description of the asymptotic behavior of a generic solution of Einstein equations near a spacelike singularity could be drastically simplified by considering that the time derivatives of the metric asymptotically dominate (except at a sequence of instants, in the `chaotic case') over the spatial derivatives. We present a precise formulation of the BKL conjecture (in the chaotic case) that consists of basically three elements: (i) we parametrize the spatial metric $g_{ij}$ by means of \it{Iwasawa variables} $\beta^a, {\cal N}^a{}_i$); (ii) we define, at each spatial point, a (chaotic) \it{asymptotic evolution system} made of ordinary differential equations for the Iwasawa variables; and (iii) we characterize the exact Einstein solutions $\beta, {\cal{N}}$ whose asymptotic behavior is described by a solution $\beta_{[0]}, {\cal N}_{[0]}$ of the previous evolution system by means of a `\it{generalized Fuchsian system}' for the differenced variables $\bar \beta = \beta - \beta_{[0]}$, $\bar {\cal N} = {\cal N} - {\cal N}_{[0]}$, and by requiring that $\bar \beta$ and $\bar {\cal N}$ tend to zero on the singularity. We also show that, in spite of the apparently chaotic infinite succession of `Kasner epochs' near the singularity, there exists a well-defined \it{asymptotic geometrical structure} on the singularity : it is described by a \it{partially framed flag}. Our treatment encompasses Einstein-matter systems (comprising scalar and p-forms), and also shows how the use of Iwasawa variables can simplify the usual (`asymptotically velocity term dominated') description of non-chaotic systems.Comment: 50 pages, 4 figure

Boundary Value Problem for Black Rings

We study the boundary value problem for asymptotically flat stationary black ring solutions to the five-dimensional vacuum Einstein equations. Assuming the existence of two additional commuting axial Killing vector fields and the horizon topology of $S^1\times S^2$, we show that the only asymptotically flat black ring solution with a regular horizon is the Pomeransky-Sen'kov black ring solution.Comment: 21 pages, 1 figur

Some properties of the "String gas" with the equation of state p=−ρ/3p = -\rho/3

We show that the string gas - a perfect fluid with the equation of state $p = -\frac13 \rho$ possesses rather interesing properties. In Friedmann universes its presence can can change the observable topology of the space; in the spherically symmetric spacetimes it produces rather bizzare geometries and in a way its influence on the rotation curves mimics the dark matter effects.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur

Quantum diffraction and interference of spatially correlated photon pairs and its Fourier-optical analysis

We present one- and two-photon diffraction and interference experiments involving parametric down-converted photon pairs. By controlling the divergence of the pump beam in parametric down-conversion, the diffraction-interference pattern produced by an object changes from a quantum (perfectly correlated) case to a classical (uncorrelated) one. The observed diffraction and interference patterns are accurately reproduced by Fourier-optical analysis taking into account the quantum spatial correlation. We show that the relation between the spatial correlation and the object size plays a crucial role in the formation of both one- and two-photon diffraction-interference patterns.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figures, rev.

Joint Probabilities Reproducing Three EPR Experiments On Two Qubits

An eight parameter family of the most general nonnegative quadruple probabilities is constructed for EPR-Bohm-Aharonov experiments when only 3 pairs of analyser settings are used. It is a simultaneous representation of 3 Bohr-incompatible experimental configurations valid for arbitrary quantum states.Comment: Typo corrected in abstrac

On the Bogomol'nyi bound in Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton gravity

It has been shown that the 4-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory allows a Bogomol'nyi-type inequality for an arbitrary dilaton coupling constant $\alpha$, and that the bound is saturated if and only if the (asymptotically flat) spacetime admits a nontrivial spinor satisfying the gravitino and the dilatino Killing spinor equations. The present paper revisits this issue and argues that the dilatino equation fails to ensure the dilaton field equation unless the solution is purely electric/magnetic, or the dilaton coupling constant is given by $\alpha=0, \sqrt 3$, corresponding to the Brans-Dicke-Maxwell theory and the Kaluza-Klein reduction of 5-dimensional vacuum gravity, respectively. A systematic classification of the supersymmetric solutions reveals that the solution can be rotating if and only if the solution is dyonic or the coupling constant is given by $\alpha=0, \sqrt 3$. This implies that the theory with $\alpha \ne 0, \sqrt 3$ cannot be embedded into supergravity except for the static truncation. Physical properties of supersymmetric solutions are explored from various points of view.Comment: v2: 23 pages, typos corrected, minor modifications, to appear in CQ

A model for time-dependent cosmological constant and its consistency with the present Friedmann universe

We use a model where the cosmological term can be related to the chiral gauge anomaly of a possible quantum scenario of the initial evolution of the universe. We show that this term is compatible with the Friedmann behavior of the present universe.Comment: 5 pages, Revtex 4, twocolumn (minor corrections and improved reference list. To appear in Classical and Quantum Gravity

Scalar Field Probes of Power-Law Space-Time Singularities

We analyse the effective potential of the scalar wave equation near generic space-time singularities of power-law type (Szekeres-Iyer metrics) and show that the effective potential exhibits a universal and scale invariant leading x^{-2} inverse square behaviour in the ``tortoise coordinate'' x provided that the metrics satisfy the strict Dominant Energy Condition (DEC). This result parallels that obtained in hep-th/0403252 for probes consisting of families of massless particles (null geodesic deviation, a.k.a. the Penrose Limit). The detailed properties of the scalar wave operator depend sensitively on the numerical coefficient of the x^{-2}-term, and as one application we show that timelike singularities satisfying the DEC are quantum mechanically singular in the sense of the Horowitz-Marolf (essential self-adjointness) criterion. We also comment on some related issues like the near-singularity behaviour of the scalar fields permitted by the Friedrichs extension.Comment: v2: 21 pages, JHEP3.cls, one reference adde