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Cited by 160Cosmology and Gravitation TheoriesNoncommutative and Quantum Gravity TheoriesQuantum Mechanics and Applications

Pointer states for primordial fluctuations in inflationary cosmology

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Kiefer, Claus, Lohmar, Ingo, Polarski, David, Starobinsky, Alexei A·2007·Classical and Quantum Gravity
DOI 10.1088/0264-9381/24/7/002
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Abstract

Primordial fluctuations in inflationary cosmology acquire classical properties through decoherence when their wavelengths become larger than the Hubble scale. Although decoherence is effective, it is not complete, so a significant part of primordial correlations remains up to the present moment. We address the issue of the pointer states which provide a classical basis for the fluctuations with respect to the influence by an environment (other fields). Applying methods from the quantum theory of open systems (the Lindblad equation), we show that this basis is given by narrow Gaussians that approximate eigenstates of field amplitudes. We calculate both the von Neumann and linear entropy of the fluctuations. Their ratio to the maximal entropy per field mode defines a degree of partial decoherence in the entropy sense. We also determine the time of partial decoherence making the Wigner function positive everywhere which, for super-Hubble modes during inflation, is virtually independent of coupling to the environment and is only slightly larger than the Hubble time. On the other hand, assuming a representative environment (a photon bath), the decoherence time for sub-Hubble modes is finite only if some real dissipation exists.

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  • The entropy of the primordial fluctuations increases with increase in the scale factor a.

    “The resulting entropy increases with increase in the scale factor a .”

    From On a quantum Weyl curvature hypothesis (2022) · cites this paper as Kiefer et al. (2007)

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Authors
Kiefer, C., Lohmar, I., Polarski, D., & Starobinsky, A. A.
Affiliations
  • University of Cologne (DE)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
  • Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics (RU)
ORCID
Venue
Classical and Quantum Gravity
Publisher
IOP Publishing
Published
2007-03-13
Volume
24
Issue
7
Pages
1699-1718
ISSN
  • 0264-9381 (ISSN-L)
  • 1361-6382
DOI
10.1088/0264-9381/24/7/002
OpenAlex
W2116905728
Cited by
160
References
1
Citations by year
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FWCI
5.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Classical and Quantum Gravity (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University)
Funders
  • Russian Foundation for Basic Research
  • Centre Elile Borel, Institut Henri-Poincaré
  • Institut Henri Poincaré
  • Russian Academy of Sciences
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Cosmology and Gravitation Theories
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Statistical and Nonlinear Physics › Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Quantum Mechanics and Applications
Keywords
primordial perturbations, inflation (cosmology), decoherence, pointer states, open quantum systems, Lindblad master equation, von Neumann entropy, linear entropy, Wigner function, energy dissipation, quantum-to-classical transition

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