The Effect of Higher-Order Curvature Terms on String Quantum Cosmology

Author

Simon Davis and Hugh Luckock

Status

Research Report 99-23
Date: 30 November 1999, revised 27 June 2000

Abstract

Several new results regarding the quantum cosmology of higher-order gravity theories derived from superstring effective actions are presented. After describing techniques for solving the Wheeler-DeWitt equation with appropriate boundary conditions, it is shown that this quantum cosmological model may be compared with semiclassical theories of inflationary cosmology. In particular, it should be possible to compute corrections to the standard inflationary model perturbatively about a stable exponentially expanding classical background.

Key phrases

higher-derivative gravity. quantum cosmology. inflationary model. higher-order differential equations. boundary conditions.

AMS Subject Classification (1991)

Primary: 83F05
Secondary: 35G05, 83C45, 83E30

Content

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