Theory Seminar (High Energy/Cosmology) |
Events on Friday, November 13th, 2020
- Two topics in quantum gravity
- Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
- Place: For zoom link, sign up at:
- Speaker: Oliver Janssen, ICTP, Trieste
- Abstract: I will discuss two topics in quantum gravity, both involving the gravitational path integral. In the first part I will introduce the “no-boundary wave function”, a path integral over geometries on compact four-manifolds which solves the Wheeler-DeWitt equation. I will then outline how this object can be computed, and comment on its interpretation, in the scenario of minimally coupled scalar field matter subject to a potential energy function of the slow-roll type. In the second part I will comment on a proposal which identifies bulk gravitational path integrals with ensemble averages of boundary partition functions. This talk is based on 2009.06282 and work in progress.
- Host: Lars Aalsma