Quantum cosmology from group field theory condensates: a review

Gielen, Steffen; Sindoni, Lorenzo

Abstract

We give, in some detail, a critical overview over recent work towards deriving a cosmological phenomenology from the fundamental quantum dynamics of group field theory (GFT), based on the picture of a macroscopic universe as a “condensate” of a large number of quanta of geometry which are given by excitations of the GFT field over a “no-space” vacuum. We emphasise conceptual foundations, relations to other research programmes in GFT and the wider context of loop quantum gravity (LQG), and connections to the quantum physics of real Bose–Einstein condensates. We show how to extract an effective dynamics for GFT condensates from the microscopic GFT physics, and how to compare it with predictions of more conventional quantum cosmology models, in particular loop quantum cosmology (LQC). No detailed familiarity with the GFT formalism is assumed.

Citation

Gielen, S., & Sindoni, L. (2016). Quantum cosmology from group field theory condensates: a review. Symmetry, Integrability and Geometry: Methods and Applications, 12, doi:10.3842/sigma.2016.082

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 13, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Aug 18, 2016
• Publication Date: Aug 18, 2016
• Deposit Date: Oct 23, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 23, 2018
• Journal: Symmetry, Integrability and Geometry: Methods and Applications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Article Number: 082
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3842/sigma.2016.082
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1181389
• Publisher URL: http://www.emis.de/journals/SIGMA/2016/082/