2002/09/16 by Ashoke Sen · 9 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories #gr-qc #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1142/s0217751x03015313
published as Int.J.Mod.Phys.A18:4869-4888,2003 · LaTeX file, 24 pages
arxiv created 2002/09/16 · openalex publication_date 2003/10/20 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Recent analysis suggests that the classical dynamics of a tachyon on an unstable D-brane is described by a scalar Born–Infeld type action with a runaway potential. The classical configurations in this theory at late time are in one to one correspondence with the configuration of a system of noninteracting (incoherent), nonrotating dust. We discuss some aspects of canonical quantization of this field theory coupled to gravity, and explore, following an earlier work on this subject, the possibility of using the scalar field (tachyon) as the definition of time in quantum cosmology. At late "time" we can identify a subsector in which the scalar field decouples from gravity and we recover the usual Wheeler–de Witt equation of quantum gravity.