Inflationary cosmology as a probe of primordial quantum mechanics
APA
Valentini, A. (2006). Inflationary cosmology as a probe of primordial quantum mechanics. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/06020000
MLA
Valentini, Antony. Inflationary cosmology as a probe of primordial quantum mechanics. Perimeter Institute, Feb. 01, 2006, https://pirsa.org/06020000
BibTex
@misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:06020000, doi = {10.48660/06020000}, url = {https://pirsa.org/06020000}, author = {Valentini, Antony}, keywords = {Quantum Foundations, Cosmology}, language = {en}, title = {Inflationary cosmology as a probe of primordial quantum mechanics}, publisher = {Perimeter Institute}, year = {2006}, month = {feb}, note = {PIRSA:06020000 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}} }
Clemson University
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Abstract
It is shown that inflationary cosmology may be used to test the statistical predictions of quantum theory at very short distances. Hidden-variables theories, such as the pilot-wave theory of de Broglie and Bohm, allow the existence of vacuum states with non-standard field fluctuations (quantum non-equilibrium). It is shown that such non-equilibrium vacua lead to statistical anomalies, such as a breaking of scale invariance for the primordial power spectrum. The results depend only weakly on the details of the de Broglie-Bohm dynamics. Recent observations of the cosmic microwave background are used to set limits on violations of quantum theory in the early universe.