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Quantum cosmology has gradually emerged as the focus of devoted research, mostly within the second half of last century. As we entered the 21st century, the subject is still very much alive. The outcome of results and templates for investigation have been enlarged, some very recent and fascinating. Hence this book, where the authors bequeath some of their views, as they believe this current century is the one where quantum cosmology will be fully accomplished.Though some aspects are not discussed (namely, supersymmetry or loop structures), there are perhaps a set of challenges that in the authors'opinion remain, some since the dawn of quantum mechanics and applications to cosmology. Others could have been selected, at the readers'discretion and opinion. The authors put herewith a chart and directions to explore, some of which they have worked on or aimed to work more, in the twilight of their current efforts. Their confidence is that someone will follow in their trails, venturing in discovering the proper answer, by being able to formulate the right questions beforehand. The authors'shared foresight is that such discoveries, from those formulations, will be attained upon endorsing the routes within the challenges herewith indicated.

Works on quantum mechanics (astronomy, cosmology etc.) often mention that “the laws of quantum mechanics” don't apply in the “macro world”. It all depends on what you mean by'macro world'. How many atoms constitute the limit, just a couple of them, or a glass of milk, a sizeable house, a city, a continent? Instead, let's dream big, the whole Planet, maybe our Solar system, our Galaxy, or the Universe as we know it… In this book, we don't mean to “extend” quantum mechanics. As physical models go: given a world view we find the boundary conditions, set up a mathematical model corresponding to it, and compare it to the reality… Instead of the “extension” of quantum mechanics we simply take it as it is. Let's examine what kinds of systems correspond to their laws and under which conditions. The fundamental statements underlying the book are the following: In Solar System-like structures, the individual constituents possess some charge (besides having mass, spin, magnetic moment, just like the particles of atomic structures). This statement allows for the quantum-mechanical modelling and interpretation of Solar System-like structures. All else can be derived from the above statement. The gravitational field and electric field exist independently of each other. The validity of the basic relationships between relativistic quantum mechanics is true for atomic scale systems, as well as for galactic scale systems.

The successes of the standard models of particle physics and cosmology are many, but have proven incapable of explaining all the phenomena that we observe. This book investigates the potentially important role of quantum physics, particularly quantum anomalies, in various aspects of modern cosmology, such as inflation, the dynamical generation of the visible and dark matter in the universe, and gravitational waves. By doing so, the authors demonstrate that exploring the links between cosmology and particle physics is key to helping solve the mysteries of our Universe.

Quantum gravity has developed into a fast-growing subject in physics and it is expected that probing the high-energy and high-curvature regimes of gravitating systems will shed some light on how to eventually achieve an ultraviolet complete quantum theory of gravity. Such a theory would provide the much needed information about fundamental problems of classical gravity, such as the initial big-bang singularity, the cosmological constant problem, Planck scale physics and the early-time inflationary evolution of our Universe. While in the first part of this book concepts of quantum gravity are introduced and approached from different angles, the second part discusses these theories in connection with cosmological models and observations, thereby exploring which types of signatures of modern and mathematically rigorous frameworks can be detected by experiments. The third and final part briefly reviews the observational status of dark matter and dark energy, and introducesalternative cosmological models. Edited and authored by leading researchers in the field and cast into the form of a multi-author textbook at postgraduate level, this volume will be of benefit to all postgraduate students and newcomers from neighboring disciplines wishing to find a comprehensive guide for their future research.

We see objects in front of us, and experience a real material effect when we approach and touch them. Thus, we conclude that all objects are embedded in space and exist objectively. However, such experiences in everyday life cannot be transferred to the atomic level: within standard quantum theory, the material world is still embedded in space, but it no longer has an objective existence. How can objects be embedded in space without existing objectively?This book addresses this and similar issues in an illustrative and non-conventional way. Using up-to-date information, the following basic questions are contemplated: What is a particle, a quantum object? What can we say about the nature of time? How is reality, in particular the cosmos, formed? What is the influence of evolution on the discovery of new developments in this field? Like the philosophers Whitehead and Bergson, the primacy of process is advocated: we experience objects — both quantum objects and those we experience in everyday life — at certain positions in space, but everything is a matter of process and the existence of static objects in space is thus eliminated.

Consequences of quantum gravity on grander scales are expected to be enormous: only such a theory can show how black holes really behave and where our universe came from. Applications of loop quantum gravity to cosmology have especially by now shed much light on cosmic evolution of a universe in a fundamental, microscopic description. Modern techniques are explained in this book which demonstrate how the universe could have come from a non-singular phase before the big bang, how equations for the evolution of structure can be derived, but also what fundamental limitations remain to our knowledge of the universe before the big bang.The following topics will be covered in this book:Hamiltonian cosmology: a general basic treatment of isotropy, perturbations and their role for observations; useful in general cosmology.Effective equations: an efficient way to evaluate equations of quantum gravity, which is also useful in other areas of physics where quantum theory is involved.Loop quantization: a new formalism for the atomic picture of space-time; usually presented at a sophisticated mathematical level, but evaluated here from an intuitive physical side.The book will start with physical motivations, rather than mathematical developments which is more common in other expositions of this field. All the required mathematical methods will be presented, but will not distract the reader from seeing the underlying physics. Simple but representative models will be presented first to show the basic features, which are then used to work upwards to a general description of quantum gravity and its applications in cosmology. This will make the book accessible to a more general physics readership.

Due to the QC design discussed in this volume, a hedge fund company has agreed to invest 10 Million British pounds to the researchers of this volume, see more from the press release (www.prlog.org/10681559).Every hundred years or so, a unique groundbreaking Copernican class volume arises unexpectedly. From ashes long thought cold of Einstein's static universe model, for the first time technically viable alternative interpretations to all pillars of Big Bang cosmology are presented in the context of a profound new “continuous-state” cosmological paradigm able to elucidate many contemporary problems plaguing the standard model of particle physics. The cosmology provides an alternative derivation of the string/brane tension formalism derived from large-scale additional dimensions that leads to a putative unique background-independent string vacuum without requiring the Higgs mechanism or SUSY superpartners. Breakthroughs presented, arising from the broad spectrum of explanatory power, include an empirical protocol for violation of the quantum uncertainty principle that provides a viable model for the implementation of universal bulk quantum computing. Other developments naturally arising from utility of the new regime include a design for constructing de Broglie-type matter-wave projectile defense shields with far-reaching consequences.Contents:Demise of the Big Bang — A Philosophical ConundrumExtending the Standard Model: Towards the Ultimate Evolution of String TheoryFundamental Parameters for a Continuous-State Holographic Anthropic MultiverseAn Alternative Derivation of String Tension Determining a Unique Background Independent String VacuumFormalizing the Ultimate Geometry of Reality: Dimensionality, Awareness and Arrow of TimeIntegration of Gravity & Electromagnetism in Terms of a Dirac Polarized VacuumRedshift/CMBR as Intrinsic Blackbody Cavity-QED Absorption/Emission Equilibrium DynamicsImplications of Multidimensional Geometries and MeasurementProbability ≡ 1: An Empirical Protocol for Surmounting Quantum UncertaintyOn the Possibility of Relativistic Shock-Wave Effects in Observations of Quasar LuminosityThe Bulk Implementation of Universal Scalable Quantum ComputingPractical Matter-Wave Antiballistic Defense Shield TechnologiesIs a Different Search Protocol Required for Success in SETI Research?Readership: Graduate students and researchers in astrophysics, cosmology, universal quantum computing and string theory.