Quantum coherence, wormholes, and the cosmological constant

Coleman has argued that if wormhole solutions to the Euclidean action coupled to matter dominate the Euclidean path integral for quantum gravity, they do not lead to a loss of quantum coherence for wave functions in our Universe. Furthermore, they also lead to the prediction that the ultimate'&...

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Veröffentlicht in:Physical review. D, Particles and fields Particles and fields, 1989-08, Vol.40 (4), p.1053-1063
1. Verfasser: UNRUH, W. G
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Coleman has argued that if wormhole solutions to the Euclidean action coupled to matter dominate the Euclidean path integral for quantum gravity, they do not lead to a loss of quantum coherence for wave functions in our Universe. Furthermore, they also lead to the prediction that the ultimate'' cosmological constant is zero. I analyze the assumptions that go into this result and argue that the presence of wormhole solutions does lead to a loss of quantum coherence and, furthermore, completely destroys the Euclidean quantum theory by producing a highly nonlocal effective Euclidean action which is violently unbounded from below.
ISSN:0556-2821
1089-4918
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevD.40.1053