Martin Bojowald

Quantum Cosmology: A Fundamental Description of the Universe - Lecture Notes in Physics Martin Bojowald 2011 edition

Marc Notes: ; 8; The applications of quantum gravity theory are epoch-making: only such a theory can explain how black holes really behave and where our universe came from. This volume uses accessible models to cover a number of relevant topics including loop quantization.. Biographical Note: Professor Martin Bojowald works on quantum gravity and has initiated loop quantum gravity, which is the main approach to quantum cosmology and the subject of this book. For his work, he has received the First Prize of the Gravity Research Foundation Essay Competition in 2003, the Xanthopoulos Prize of the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation in 2007, and an NSF Early Career Award in 2008. He has also written several pieces for a general audience on the subject. Table of Contents: Introduction.- Cosmology and Quantum Theory.- Kinematics: Spatial Atoms.- Dynamics: Changing Atoms of Space-Time.- Effective Equations.- Harmonic Cosmology: The Universe Before the Big Bang and How Much We Can Know About It.- What DoesItMean for a Singularity to be Resolved?.- Anisotropy.- Midisuperspace Models: Black Hole Collapse.- Perturbative Inhomogenities.- Difference Equations.- Physical Hilbert Spaces.- General Aspects of Effective Descriptions."Jacket Description/Back: The universe, ultimately, is to be described by quantum theory. Quantum aspects of all there is, including space and time, may not be significant for many purposes, but are crucial for some time. And so a quantum description of cosmology is required for a complete and consistent worldview. Consequences of quantum gravity on grander scales are expected to be enormous. In "Quantum Cosmology, A Fundamental Description of the Universe," Martin Bojowald discusses his theory to see how black holes behave and where our universe came from. Applications like loop quantum gravity and cosmology have by now shed much light on cosmic evolution of a universe in a fundamental, microscopic description. Modern techniques demonstrate how the universe may have come from a non-singular phase before the Big Bang, how equations for the evolution of structure can be derived, how observations could be used to test these claims, but also what fundamental limitations remain to our knowledge of the universe before the Big Bang."Publisher Marketing: The applications of quantum gravity theory are epoch-making: only such a theory can explain how black holes really behave and where our universe came from. This volume uses accessible models to cover a number of relevant topics including loop quantization.

Contributor Bio:  Bojowald, Martin Martin Bojowald is an Associate Professor at the Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, Pennsylvania State University. He pioneered loop quantum cosmology, a field on which his research continues to focus.