1 h 27 min
(When) Do Inflationary Perturbations Classicalize?
Cosmology, Physical Cosmology and seminar by Aurora Ireland, Stanford University
Tuesday 13:00 UTC
Recording available
Waterloo, Canada
Recording
Abstract
Primordial fluctuations need not lose their quantum character as quickly as commonly assumed. Using inflationary effective theory beyond slow roll, this talk constructs Wigner functions whose negative interference fringes diagnose nonclassical behaviour. Those features can strengthen outside the horizon, and in some motivated regimes their creation outpaces environmental decoherence. The resulting phase-space structure suggests cosmological observables that might retain evidence of the fluctuations' quantum origins.
Topics
Primordial fluctuationsquantum characterinflationary effective theoryslow rollWigner functionsnegative interference fringesnonclassical behaviourenvironmental decoherencephase-space structurecosmological observables