Quantum Gravity and the Large Scale Anomaly

The spectrum of primordial perturbations obtained by calculating the quantum gravitational corrections to the dynamics of scalar perturbations is compared with Planck 2013 and BICEP2/{\it Keck Array} public data. The quantum gravitational effects are calculated in the context of a Wheeler-De Witt approach and have quite distinctive features. We constrain the free parameters of the theory by comparison with observations.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures; the analysis has been updated with the combined Planck-BICEP2/Keck Array public data. Final version, accepted for publication in JCA

Inflation and Quantum Gravity in a Born-Oppenheimer Context

A general equation, describing the lowest order corrections coming from quantum gravitational effects to the spectrum of cosmological scalar fluctuations is obtained. These corrections are explicitly estimated for the case of a de Sitter evolution.Comment: 13 pages, no figures. Final version, accepted for publication in PL

Signatures of Quantum Gravity in a Born-Oppenheimer Context

We solve a general equation describing the lowest order corrections arising from quantum gravitational effects to the spectrum of cosmological fluctuations. The spectra of scalar and tensor perturbations are calculated to first order in the slow roll approximation and the results are compared with the most recent observations. The slow roll approximation gives qualitatively new quantum gravitational effects with respect to the pure de Sitter case.Comment: 19 pages, 2 figures; final version accepted for publication in PL

The accelerated observer with back-reaction effects

The quantum mechanical evolution of an accelerated extended detector coupled to a massless scalar field is exhibited and the back-reaction due to emission or absorption processes computed at first order in the change of the detector's mass and acceleration. An analogy with black hole evaporation is found and illustrated.Comment: 7 pages, LaTeX, no figure

The accelerated observer and quantum effects

An extended monopole detector at constant acceleration coupled to a massless scalar field is allowed to evolve quantum mechanically. It is found that while in the classical, followed by the point particle, limit the usual result Unruh effect is recovered, in the point particle (before the classical) limit the detector decouples from the scalar field and therefore the effect disappears.Comment: Plain Tex, 10 page