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We establish the general conditions under which evolution in the laws of physics and matter creation or destruction are closely intertwined. They make use of global time variables canonically dual to the constants of Nature. Such times flow at a rate determined by what can be interpret as the chemical potential of the fundamental constants (in analogy with phenomenological clocks based on isentropic fluids). The general condition for violations of energy conservation is then that a matter parameter evolves as a function of a gravity clock or vice-versa. This framework can be envisaged as the environment within which a natural selection scenario operates, powered by random mutations in the values of the constants of nature (or indeed any other variability in the laws in terms of the times defined above). The prize function is the creation of matter, followed by its preservation. This can be accomplished in an environment where diffeomorphism invariance is among the possible theories, with mutations modelled, for example, on the absorbing Markov chain. In such a set-up the diffeormorphism invariant state with fixed constants (or any nearby state) should be the absorbing state. John Wheeler's ``higgledy-piggledy'' chaotic cosmic start therefore finds a realization in this model, where its own demise and the establishment of order and seemingly immutable laws is also a predection of the model.

We derive the interesting result that the two asymptotically flat Universes classically linked by the Einstein-Rosen bridge may also be quantum mechanically connected in their far out regions. This would be felt by the Newtonian potential far away from a black/white hole system, and raises the possibility of establishing communication via perturbations. We obtain our results by means of wavepackets with a small variance in the mass, solving the equations derived from a maximally symmetry-reduced canonical quantisation method. Mass and a proxy of the Newtonian potential appear as canonical duals, leading to a Heisenberg uncertainty relation between the two. Coherent states are then built, which become non-semiclassical only in two regions: asymptotic spatial infinity (where unitarity forces the packets to ''feel'' the other asymptotic spatial infinity), and inside the horizon at $r=Gm$ where there is ringing. Whilst the latter has been noted in the literature, the former -- the quantum wormhole -- seems to have eluded past scrutiny. Further studies are required to examine the stability of these conclusions beyond their symmetry-reduced test tube., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures

We investigate the interplay between Horava-Lifshitz (HL) gravity and more general theories where the local Hamiltonian constraint is lost, for example due to the time variability of the Lagrangian (e.g. via its parameters) where time is defined on a foliation according to a prescription mimicking Lambda and 4-volume time in unimodualr gravity. In one direction we subject the multitude of parameters in HL to this variability game, mimicking RG flow in a cosmological setting. In the opposite direction, we examine the evolution on the left-over Hamiltonian should the HL algebra of constraints be still applicable, rather than the algebra of General Relativity being restored. Within the projectable theory, the non-vanishing Hamiltonian can be reinterpreted as a pressureless fluid, resulting in essentially the same phenomenologies at macroscopic scales as in the standard cold dark matter paradigm. At high energies and short distances, however, unlike in theories with similar variability based on GR, violations of stress-energy tensor conservation persist, and these are computed here for the full class of projectable HL models. The phenomenological implications are examined: remarkably the driven solution resulting from these energy conservation violations is shown to be the attractor of the system during a free-fall collapse as far as the backreaction is negligible. When the backreaction is taken into account, the driven solution is expected to play an important role towards our understanding of microscopic caustic avoidance, which is one of the most significant issues in many alternatives to particle dark matter scenarios.

We explore the well know mass deficit/surplus phenomenon in General Relativity to suggest that it could play a part in the dark matter conundrum. Specifically in collapses and condensations of matter associated with negative intrinsic curvature of the foliation associated with the asymptotic boundary conditions, the external (ADM) mass can vastly exceed the integrated local energy over the internal volume. This can be phrased in terms of a deficit of volume for a given surface area (with respect to zero curvature). We explore the phenomenon in the context of generalizations of the Oppenheimer-Snyder models and other "cut and paste" models, the Lemaitre-Bondi-Tolman metric and several others. We produce constructions where the internal object is contracting or expanding, has a life time different from the asymptotic Universe, as well as a volume different than the escavated volume from the Universe. These are purely relativistic constructions and they could play a role in the puzzle of dark matter: attraction without visible or indeed any matter.

We examine the permanent damage caused by the historical breakdown of full diffeomorphism invariance induced by a foliation. We focus on the case where the foliation is allowed to be non-geodesic after the interactions with the foliation switch off. Gravity and other forms of matter recover full diffeomorphism invariance only at the expense of introducing a new matter-like component, carrying the non-vanishing Hamiltonian (and momentum, as it turns out) left over from the violating past interactions. This matter form must be stress-free in the preferred frame; this is the only way a matter action can mimic the evolution of the leftover Hamiltonian (and momentum) driven by the Dirac hypersurface deformation algebra. Hence, if the preferred frame is non-geodesic, the equivalent matter component must have energy and a momentum current in this frame, but still no spatial stresses: an unusual form of "matter". It is equivalent to a fluid with anisotropic stress in some regimes, reducing to dust in others, or even displaying completely new features in extreme situations. Its stress energy tensor is conserved. We provide two examples based on accelerated frames: Rindler space-time and the canonical Schwarzchild frame.

We examine local physics in the presence of global variables: variables associated with the whole of the spacelike surfaces of a foliation. These could be the (pseudo-)constants of nature and their conjugate times, but our statements are more general. Interactions between the local and the global (for example, dependence of the local action on global times dual to constants) degrades full space-time diffeomorphism invariance down to spatial diffeomorphism invariance, and so an extra degree of freedom appears. When these presumably primordial global interactions switch off, the local action recovers full invariance and so the usual two gravitons, but a legacy matter component is left over, bearing the extra degree of freedom. Under the assumption that the preferred foliation is geodesic, this component behaves like dark matter, except that 3 of its 4 local degrees of freedom are frozen, forcing its rest frame to coincide with the preferred foliation. The non-frozen degree of freedom (the number density of the effective fluid) is the survivor of the extra "graviton" present in the initial theory, and keeps memory of all the past global interactions that took place in a given location in the preferred foliation. Such "painted-on" dark matter is best distinguished from the conventional one in situations where the preferred frame would be preposterous if all 4 degrees of freedom of dark matter were available. We provide one example: an outflowing halo of legacy matter with exact escape speed at each point and a very specific profile, surrounding a condensed structure made of normal matter.

We report unbiased AI measurements of the fine structure constant alpha in two proximate absorption regions in the spectrum of the quasar HE0515-4414. The data are high resolution, high signal to noise, and laser frequency comb calibrated, obtained using the ESPRESSO spectrograph on the VLT. The high quality of the data and proximity of the regions motivate a differential comparison, exploring the possibility of spatial variations of fundamental constants, as predicted in some theories. We show that if the magnesium isotopic relative abundances are terrestrial, the fine structure constants in these two systems differ at the 7-sigma level. A 3-sigma discrepancy between the two measurements persists even for the extreme non-terrestrial case of 100% ^{24}Mg, if shared by both systems. However, if Mg isotopic abundances take independent values in these two proximate systems, one terrestrial, the other with no heavy isotopes, both can be reconciled with a terrestrial alpha, and the discrepancy between the two measurements falls to 2-sigma. We discuss varying constant and varying isotope interpretations and resolutions to this conundrum for future high precision measurements., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures

In unimodular-like theories, the constants of nature are demoted from pre-given parameters to phase space variables. Their canonical duals provide physical time variables. We investigate how this interacts with an alternative approach to varying constants, where they are replaced by dynamical scalar fields. Specifically we investigate the Brans-Dicke theory of gravity and its interaction with clocks dual to the cosmological constant, the Planck mass, etc. We crucially distinguish between the different role of Newton's G in this process, leading to the possibility of local Lorentz invariance violation. A large number of possible theories emerge, for example where the Brans-Dicke coupling, omega, depends on unimodular-like times (in a generalization of scalar-tensor theories), or even become the dual variable to unimodular-like clocks ticking variations in other demoted constants, such as the cosmological constant. We scan the space of possible theories and select those most interesting regarding the joint variations of the Brans-Dicke omega and other parameters, (such as the cosmological constant); and also regarding their energy conservation violation properties. This ground work is meant to provide the formalism for further developments, namely regarding cosmology, black holes and the cosmological constant problem.

In this paper we entertain a Machian setting where local physics is non-locally affected by the whole Universe, taking the liberty to identify the local (``Newton's bucket'') with our visible Universe, and the whole Universe (Mach's ``fixed stars'') with the global Universe beyond our horizon. Crucially, we allow for the two to have different properties, so that we are beyond the traditional FRW setting. For definiteness we focus on theories where non-locality arises from evolution in the laws of physics in terms of spatially global time variables dual to the constants of Nature. Since non-local theories are foliation-dependent, the {\it local} (but not the global) Hamiltonian constraint is lost. This is true not only while non-locality is taking place, but also after it ceases: the local Hamiltonian constraint is only recovered up to a constant in time, keeping a memory of the integrated past non-locality. We show that this integration constant is equivalent to preserving the local Hamiltonian constraint and adding an extra fluid with the same cosmological properties as conventional pressureless dark matter. The equivalence breaks down in terms of clustering properties, with the new component attracting other matter, but not budging from its location. This is the ultimate ``painted-on'' dark matter, attracting but not being attracted, and nailing down a preferred frame., Comment: Revised version corrects small technical issue at Eqs. 52-53. This does not change anything in the discussion that follows

We relate physical time with the topology of magnetic field vortices. We base ourselves on a formulation of unimodular gravity where the cosmological constant $\Lambda$ appears as the canonical dual to a variable which on-shell becomes four-volume time. If the theory is restricted to a topological axionic form (viz. a parity-odd product of an electric and a magnetic field), such a time variable becomes the spatial integral of the Chern-Simons density. The latter equates to helicity, so that unimodular time is transmuted into the linking number of the vortices of the topological magnetic field, times their flux. With the added {\it postulate} that this flux is a universal constant, the flow of time can thus be interpreted as the progressive weaving of further links between magnetic field vortices, each link providing a quantum of time with value related to the fixed flux. Non-abelian extensions, and targetting parameters other than $\Lambda$ are briefly examined, exposing different types of vortices and a possible role for inter-linking leading to new phenomenology.

In theories where physics depends on a global foliation of space-time, a black hole's horizon is surrounded by an "eternity skin": a pile-up of space-like leaves that in the far-out region cover all times from the start of collapse to future eternity. Any future foliation-dependent change in the laws of physics would be enacted in this region and affect the last stages of collapse towards black hole formation. We show how in some cases the black hole never forms but, rather, bounces into an explosive event. There is also a non-local transfer of energy between the asymptotic Universe and the formed black hole precursor, so that the back hole (if formed) or the exploding star (otherwise) will have a different mass from what was initial thrown in. These last matters are generic to non-local theories and can be traced to the breakdown of the local Hamiltonian constraint.

We consider a little known aspect of signature change, where the overall sign of the metric is allowed to change, with physical implications. We show how, in different formulations of general relativity, this type of classical signature change across boundaries with a degenerate metric can be made consistent with a change in sign (and value) of the cosmological constant $\Lambda$. In particular, the separate "mostly plus" and "mostly minus" signature sectors of Lorentzian gravity are most naturally associated with different signs of $\Lambda$. We show how this general phenomenon allows for classical solutions where the open dS patch can arise from a portion of AdS space time. These can be interpreted as classical "imaginary space" extensions of the usual Lorentzian theory, with $a^2<0$., Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures

We couple the issue of evolution in the laws of physics with that of violations of energy conservation. We define evolution in terms of time variables canonically dual to ``constants'' (such as $\Lambda$, the Planck mass or the gravitational coupling), mimicking a procedure associated with one formulation of unimodular gravity. We then introduce variability via a dependence of {\it other} fundamental ``constants'' on these clocks. Although this is not needed, sharper results are obtained if this procedure violates local Lorentz invariance, which we define in the spirit of Horava-Lifshitz theories (modifying a $3+1$ split action, so that a Lorentz invariant 4D reassembly is no longer possible). We find that variability in the ``laws of physics'' generically leads to violations of energy conservation if either a matter parameter varies as a function of a gravitational clock, or a gravity parameter depends on a matter clock, with the other combinations sterile. We illustrate this with a variety of clocks (associated with matter, the speed of light, the Ricci scalar, etc) and parameters (mainly the gravitational and matter speed of light, but also the cosmological constant). We can accommodate in this construction (and improve) several early Varying Speed of Light solutions to the flatness and cosmological constant problem, allowing for variability effects related to the spatial curvature and $\Lambda$ to cause creation of radiation and a Hot Big Bang. But we can also go well beyond, for example modelling signature change by a change in the sign of $c^2$, thereby obtaining a {\it classical} realization of the Hartle-Hawking no-boundary proposal, among other developments., Comment: Final version accepted for publication, plus minor edits

We study the Hamiltonian structure of unimodular-like theories, where the cosmological constant (or other supposed constants of nature) are demoted from fixed parameters to classical constants of motion. No new local degrees of freedom are present as a result of a $U(1)$ gauge invariance of the theory. Hamiltonian analysis of the action reveals that the only possible gauge fixing that can be enforced is setting the spatial components of the four-volume time vector ${\cal T}^{i}\approx0$. As a consequence of this, the gauge-fixed unimodular path integral is equivalent to the minisuperspace unimodular path integral. However, should we break the $U(1)$ gauge invariance, two things happen: a massless propagating degree of freedom appears, and the (gauge-invariant) zero-mode receives modified dynamics. The implications are investigated, with the phenomenology depending crucially on the target ``constant''., Comment: citations added to v2

It is remarkably difficult to reconcile unitary and Vilenkin's wave function. For example, the natural conserved inner product found in quantum unimodular gravity applies to the Hartle-Hawking wave function, but fails for its Vilenkin counterpart. We diagnose this failure from different angles (Laplace transform instead of Fourier transform, non-Hermiticity of the Hamiltonian, etc) to conclude that ultimately it stems from allowing the connection to become imaginary in a section of its contour. In turn this is the unavoidable consequence of representing the Euclidean theory as an imaginary image within a fundamentally Lorentzian theory. It is nonetheless possible to change the underlying theory and replace the connection's foray into the imaginary axis by an actual signature change (with the connection, action and Hamiltonian remaining real). The structural obstacles to unitarity are then removed, but special care must still be taken, because the Euclidean theory {\it a priori} has boundaries, so that appropriate boundary conditions are required for unitarity. Reflecting boundary conditions would reinstate a Hartle-Hawking-like solution in the Lorentzian regime. To exclude an incoming wave in the Lorentzian domain one must allow a semi-infinite tower of spheres in the Euclidean region, wave packets travelling through successive spheres for half an eternity in unimodular time. Such "Sisyphus" boundary condition no longer even vaguely resembles Vilenkin's original proposal., Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures

We calculate deviations in cosmological observables as a function of parameters in a class of connection-based models of quantum gravity. In this theory non-trivial modifications to the background cosmology can occur due to a distortion of the wave function of the Universe at the transition from matter to dark energy domination (which acts as a "reflection" in connection space). We are able to exclude some regions of parameter space and show with projected constraints that future experiments like DESI will be able to further constrain these models. An interesting feature of this theory is that there exists a region of parameter space that could naturally alleviate the $S_8$ tension., Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures

We derive the fixed-$\Lambda$ and unimodular propagators using the path integral formalism as applied to the Einstein-Cartan action. The simplicity of the action (which is linear in the lapse function) allows for an exact integration starting from the lapse function and the enforcement of the Hamiltonian constraint, leading to a product of Chern-Simons states if the connection is fixed at the endpoints. No saddle point approximation is needed. Should the metric be fixed at the endpoints, then, depending on the contour chosen for the connection, Hartle-Hawking or Vilenkin propagators are obtained. Thus, in this approach one trades a choice of contour in the lapse function for one in the connection, where appropriate. The unimodular propagators are also trivial to obtain via the path integral, and the previously derived expressions are recovered.

We re-examine the Hartle-Hawking wave function from the point of view of a quantum theory which starts from the connection representation and allows for off-shell non-constancy of $\Lambda$ (as in unimodular theory), with a concomitant dual relational time variable. By translating its structures to the metric representation we find a non-trivial inner product rendering wave packets of Hartle-Hawking waves normalizable and the time evolution unitary; however, the implied probability measure differs significantly from the naive $|\psi|^2$. In contrast with the (monochromatic) Hartle-Hawking wave function, these packets form travelling waves with a probability peak describing de Sitter space, except near the bounce, where the incident and reflected waves interfere, transiently recreating the usual standing wave. Away from the bounce the packets get sharper both in metric and connection space, an apparent contradiction with Heisenberg's principle allowed by the fact that the metric is not Hermitian, even though its eigenvalues are real. Near the bounce, the evanescent wave not only penetrates into the classically forbidden region but also extends into the $a^2<0$ Euclidean domain. We work out the propagators for this theory and relate them to the standard ones. The $a=0$ point (aka the "nothing") is unremarkable, and in any case a wave function peaked therein is typically non-normalizable and/or implies a nonsensical probability for $\Lambda$ (which the Universe would preserve forever). Within this theory it makes more sense to adopt a Gaussian state in an appropriate function of $\Lambda$, and use the probability associated with the evanescent wave present near the time of the bounce as a measure of the likelihood of creation of a pair of time-symmetric semiclassical Universes., Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures

We use the quantum unimodular theory of gravity to relate the value of the cosmological constant, $\Lambda$, and the energy scale for the emergence of cosmological classicality. The fact that $\Lambda$ and unimodular time are complementary quantum variables implies a perennially quantum Universe should $\Lambda$ be zero (or, indeed, fixed at any value). Likewise, the smallness of $\Lambda$ puts an upper bound on its uncertainty, and so a lower bound on the unimodular clock's uncertainty or the cosmic time for the emergence of classicality. Far from being the Planck scale, classicality arises at around $7 \times 10^{11}$ GeV for the observed $\Lambda$, and taking the region of classicality to be our Hubble volume. We confirm this argument with a direct evaluation of the wavefunction of the Universe in the connection representation for unimodular theory. Our argument is robust, with the only leeway being in the comoving volume of our cosmological classical patch, which should be bigger than that of the observed last scattering surface. Should it be taken to be the whole of a closed Universe, then the constraint depends weakly on $\Omega_k$: for $-\Omega_k < 10^{-3}$ classicality is reached at $ > 4 \times 10^{12}$ GeV. If it is infinite, then this energy scale is infinite, and the Universe is always classical within the minisuperspace approximation. It is a remarkable coincidence that the only way to render the Universe classical just below the Planck scale is to define the size of the classical patch as the scale of non-linearity for a red spectrum with the observed spectral index $n_s = 0.967(4)$ (about $10^{11}$ times the size of the current Hubble volume). In the context of holographic cosmology, we may interpret this size as the scale of confinement in the dual 3D quantum field theory, which may be probed (directly or indirectly) with future cosmological surveys., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, added figure and references

We revisit the Kodama state by quantizing the theory of General Relativity (GR) with dynamical Chern-Simons (dCS) gravity. We find a new exact solution to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation where the Pontryagin term induces a modification in the Kodama state from quantizing GR alone. The dCS modification directly encodes the variation of the cosmological constant., Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure

The recent transition from decelerated to accelerated expansion can be seen as a reflection (or "bounce") in the connection variable, defined by the inverse comoving Hubble length ($b=\dot a$, on-shell). We study the quantum cosmology of this process. We use a formalism for obtaining relational time variables either through the demotion of the constants of Nature to integration constants, or by identifying fluid constants of motion. We extend its previous application to a toy model (radiation and $\Lambda$) to the realistic setting of a transition from dust matter to $\Lambda$ domination. In the dust and $\Lambda$ model two time variables may be defined, conjugate to $\Lambda$ and to the dust constant of motion, and we work out the monochromatic solutions to the Schr\"odinger equation representing the Hamiltonian constraint. As for their radiation and $\Lambda$ counterparts, these solutions exhibit "ringing", whereby the incident and reflected waves interfere, leading to oscillations in the amplitude. In the semi-classical approximation we find that, close to the bounce, the probability distribution becomes double-peaked, one peak following a trajectory close to the classical limit but with a Hubble parameter slightly shifted downwards, the other with a value of $b$ stuck at its minimum $b=b_\star$. Still closer to the transition, the distribution is better approximated by an exponential distribution, with a single peak at $b=b_\star$, and a (more representative) average $b$ biased towards a value higher than the classical trajectory. Thus, we obtain a distinctive prediction for the average Hubble parameter with redshift: slightly lower than its classical value when $z\approx 0$, but potentially much higher than the classical prediction around $z\sim 0.64$, where the bounce most likely occurred. The implications for the "Hubble tension" have not escaped us., Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures

We study a quantum Hot Big Bang in the connection representation, with a matter constant of motion m whose conjugate defines time. Superpositions in m induce a unitary inner product. The wavefunction reveals a resolution of the singularity problem without new physics or supplementary boundary conditions. Backtracking in time, the probability peak eventually halts at a maximum curvature, its height dropping thereafter while a symmetric contracting peak rises. The Big Bang is replaced by a superposition of contracting and expanding regular Universes. We contrast these findings with the situation in the metric representation, where boundary conditions at the singularity are needed for unitary evolution., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, letter format; v3: fixed some typos, close to published version

We revisit the problem of the "probability of inflation" from the point of view of the Einstein-Cartan theory, where torsion can be present off-shell even in the absence of spinorial currents. An informal estimate suggests that the barrier for tunneling from "nothing" into a classical universe becomes thinner and lower, should torsion be present even if only off-shell. This is confirmed by a detailed calculation, where the usual assumptions are re-evaluated and repurposed in our situation. Interestingly some approximations used in the literature (such as the WKB approximation) are not needed in general, and in particular in our case. When we consider wave packets centered around zero torsion, however, the conclusion depends crucially how these are built. With a Klein-Gordon current prescription for the measure and probability, for small torsion variance, {\sigma}_c, we recover the plane wave results. Nonetheless, for large {\sigma}c, higher order corrections could reverse this conclusion., Comment: 12 pages

We formulate the transition from decelerated to accelerated expansion as a bounce in connection space and study its quantum cosmology, knowing that reflections are notorious for bringing quantum effects to the fore. We use a formalism for obtaining a time variable via the demotion of the constants of Nature to integration constants, and focus on a toy Universe containing only radiation and a cosmological constant $\Lambda$ for its simplicity. We find that, beside the usual factor ordering ambiguities, there is an ambiguity in the order of the quantum equation, leading to two distinct theories: one second, the other first order. In both cases two time variables may be defined, conjugate to $\Lambda$ and to the radiation constant of motion. We make little headway with the second-order theory, but are able to produce solutions to the first-order theory. They exhibit the well-known "ringing" whereby incident and reflected waves interfere, leading to oscillations in the probability distribution even for well-peaked wave packets. We also examine in detail the probability measure within the semiclassical approximation. Close to the bounce, the probability distribution becomes double-peaked, with one peak following a trajectory close to the classical limit but with a Hubble parameter slightly shifted downwards, and the other with a value of $b$ stuck at its minimum. An examination of the effects still closer to the bounce, and within a more realistic model involving matter and $\Lambda$, is left to future work., Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures; v3: very minor changes in presentation (mostly typographical), close to version published in Phys.Rev.D

What if Big Bang was hot from its very inception? This is possible in a bimetric theory where the source of fluctuations is thermal, requiring the model to live on a critical boundary in the space of parameters and can be realized when an anti-DBI brane moves within an $EAdS_2 \times E_3$ geometry. This setup renders the model unique, with sharp predictions for the scalar spectral index and its running. We investigate the non-Gaussian signatures of this thermal bimetric model, or "bi-thermal" for short. We adapt the standard calculation of non-Gaussianities for $P(X,\phi)$ models to the thermal nature of the model, emphasising how the bi-thermal peculiarities affect the calculation and alter results. This leads to precise predictions for the shape and amplitude of the three-point function of the bi-thermal model (at tree-level): $f^{\rm local} _{\rm NL} = -3/2$ and $f^{\rm equil} _{\rm NL} = -2 + 4 \sqrt{3}\pi/9 \simeq 0.4$. We also discover a new shape of flattened non-gaussianity $\propto (k_1+k_2-k_3)^{-3/2} +$ permutations, which is expected due to the excited thermal initial conditions. These results, along with our earlier predictions for the scalar power spectrum, provide sharp targets for the future generation of cosmological surveys., Comment: 24 pages, 9 figures, comments are welcome

We revisit a recent proposal for a definition of time in quantum cosmology, to investigate the effects of having more than one possible type of clock "at the same time". We use as test tube an extension of Einstein gravity with a massless scalar field in which the gravitational coupling $G_N$ is only a constant on-shell, mimicking the procedure for $\Lambda$ in unimodular gravity. Hence we have two "simultaneous" clocks in the theory: a scalar field clock, and the conjugate of $G_N$. We find that attempts to use two coherent clocks concurrently are disastrous for recovering the classical limit. The Heisenberg relations, instead of being saturated, are always realized abundantly above their bound, with strong quantum effects expected at least in parts of the trajectory. Semi-classical states always result from situations where we effectively impose a single clock, either by making the other clock a failed clock (i.e. by choosing a state where its conjugate constant is infinitely sharp), or by choosing a basis of constants where all clocks but one are redundant, i.e. motion or change in phase space does not occur with the passing of their "times". We show how this conclusion generalizes to fluids with any equation of state. It also applies to systems where "sub-clocks" of the same type could be used, for example in mixtures of different fluids with the same equation of state., Comment: 9 pages. Version accepted in PRD

We examine in greater detail the proposal that time is the conjugate of the constants of nature. Fundamentally distinct times are associated with different constants, a situation often found in "relational time" settings. We show in detail how in regions dominated by a single constant the Hamiltonian constraint can be reframed as a Schrodinger equation in the corresponding time, solved in the connection representation by outgoing-only monochromatic plane waves moving in a "space" that generalizes the Chern-Simons functional. We pay special attention to the issues of unitarity and the measure employed for the inner product. Normalizable superpositions can be built, including solitons, "light-rays" and coherent/squeezed states saturating a Heisenberg uncertainty relation between constants and their times. A healthy classical limit is obtained for factorizable coherent states, both in mono-fluid and multi-fluid situations. For the latter, we show how to deal with transition regions, where one is passing on the baton from one time to to another, and investigate the fate of the subdominant clock. For this purpose minisuperspace is best seen as a dispersive medium, with packets moving with a group speed distinct from the phase speed. We show that the motion of the packets' peaks reproduces the classical limit even during the transition periods, and for subdominant clocks once the transition is over. Deviations from the coherent/semi-classical limit are expected in these cases, however. The fact that we have recently transitioned from a decelerating to an accelerating Universe renders this proposal potentially testable, as explored elsewhere., Comment: Version to be published in Physical Review D

On Saturday 26 September, around 4am, John Barrow died aged 67, with his wife Elizabeth and son Roger at his side. From a scientific perspective, it is hard to conceive a more premature end. During lockdown alone, whilst undergoing chemotherapy and in the full knowledge that his cancer was inoperable, John managed to co-author 11 scientific papers and write a new book ("One Plus One"). Even by his own standards of productivity, this is staggeringly impressive, an achievement he was openly proud of. From a broader perspective, with a wife, 3 children and 5 young grandchildren, many strong friendships, and so much more to offer the world, he departed far too soon., Comment: 6 pages, 3 images

We revisit a mechanism proposed by Hawking to resolve the cosmological constant problem (and the controversy it generated) to identify possibly more palatable alternatives and explore new connections and interpretations. In particular, through the introduction of a new action coupling the four-form field strength $F = dA$ to the cosmological constant via a dynamical field $\lambda (x)$, a novel Baum-Hawking-Coleman type mechanism is presented. This mechanism can be seen as a generalisation of Unimodular Gravity. A theory with a similar coupling to "$F^2$" is also presented, with promising results. We show how in such theories the 3-form is closely related to the Chern-Simons density, and its associated definition of time. On the interpretational front, we propose a method avoiding the standard Euclidean action prescription, which makes use of Vilenkin's probability flux., Comment: 7 pages

We propose that cosmological time is {\it effectively} the conjugate of the constants of nature. Different definitions of time arise, with the most relevant related to the constant controlling the dynamics in each epoch. The Hamiltonian constraint then becomes a Schrodinger equation. In the connection representation, it is solved by monochromatic plane waves moving in a space generalizing the Chern-Simons functional. Normalizable superpositions exist and for factorizable coherent states we recover the classical limit and a seamless handover between potentially disparate times. There is also a rich structure of alternative states, including entangled constants, opening up the doors to new phenomenology.

The Hartle-Hawking wave function is known to be the Fourier dual of the Chern-Simons or Kodama state reduced to mini-superspace, using an integration contour covering the whole real line. But since the Chern-Simons state is a general solution of the Hamiltonian constraint (with a given ordering), its Fourier dual should provide the general solution (i.e. beyond mini-superspace) of the Wheeler DeWitt equation representing the Hamiltonian constraint in the metric representation. We write down a formal expression for such a wave function, to be seen as the generalization beyond mini-superspace of the Hartle-Hawking wave function. Its explicit evaluation (or simplification) depends only on the symmetries of the problem, and we illustrate the procedure with anisotropic Bianchi models and with the Kantowski-Sachs model. A significant difference of this approach is that we may leave the torsion inside the wave functions when we set up the ansatz for the connection, rather than setting it to zero before quantization. This allows for quantum fluctuations in the torsion, with far reaching consequences., Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, journal version

In the Einstein-Cartan framework the torsion-free conditions arise within the Hamiltonian treatment as second-class constraints. The standard strategy is to solve these constraints, eliminating the torsion from the classical theory, before quantization. Here we advocate leaving the torsion inside the other constraints before quantization, leading at first to wave functions that can be called ``kinematical'' with regards to the torsion, but not the other constraints. The torsion-free condition can then be imposed as a condition upon the physical wave packets one constructs, satisfying the usual uncertainty relations, and so with room for quantum fluctuations in the torsion. This alternative strategy has the surprising effect of clarifying the sense in which the wave functions solving an explicitly real theory are ``delta-function normalizable''. Such solutions with zero (or any fixed) torsion, should be interpreted as plane waves in torsion space. Properly constructed wave packets are therefore normalizable in the standard sense. Given that they are canonical duals, this statement applies equally well to the Chern-Simons state (connection representation) and the Hartle-Hawking wave function (metric representation). We show how, when torsion is taken into account, the Hartle-Hawking wave function is replaced by a Gauss-Airy function, with finite norm, which we call the Hartle-Hawking beam. The Chern-Simons state, instead, becomes a packet with a Gaussian probability distribution in connection space. We conclude the paper with two sections explaining how to generalize these results beyond minisuperspace.

We examine the status of the Chern-Simons (or Kodama) state from the point of view of a formulation of gravity that uses only real connection and metric variables and a real action. We may package the {\it real} connection variables into the complex Self-Dual Ashtekar connection (and will do so to make contact with previous work), but that operation is essentially cosmetic and can be undone at any step or even bypassed altogether. The action will remain the (real) Einstein-Cartan action, forgoing the addition of the usual Holst (or Nieh-Yan) term with an imaginary coefficient. It is then found that the constraints are solved by a modification of the Chern-Simons state which is a pure phase (in the Lorentzian theory, we stress), the phase containing only the fully gauge-invariant imaginary part of the Chern-Simons functional. Thus, the state for the "real theory" is non-pathological with regards to the most egregious criticisms facing its "non-real" cousin, solving the complex theory. A straightforward modification of the real Chern-Simons state is also a solution in quasi-topological theories based on the Euler invariant, for which the cosmological constant, $\Lambda$, is dynamical. In that case it is enough to shift the usual factor of $\Lambda$ in the wave function to the inside of the spatial Chern-Simons integral. The trick only works for the quasi-Euler theory with a critical coupling previously identified in the literature. It does not apply to the quasi-Pontryagin theory., Comment: Version accepted for publication

We propose that whatever quantity controls the Heisenberg uncertainty relations (for a given complementary pair of observables) it should be identified with an effective Planck parameter. With this definition it is not difficult to find examples where the Planck parameter depends on the region under study, varies in time, and even depends on which pair of observables one focuses on. In quantum cosmology the effective Planck parameter depends on the size of the comoving region under study, and so depends on that chosen region and on time. With this criterion, the classical limit is expected, not for regions larger than the Planck length, $l_{P}$, but for those larger than $l_{Q}=(l_{P}^{2}H^{-1})^{1/3}$, where $H$ is the Hubble parameter. In theories where the cosmological constant is dynamical, it is possible for the latter to remain quantum even in contexts where everything else is deemed classical. These results are derived from standard quantization methods, but we also include more speculative cases where ad hoc Planck parameters scale differently with the length scale under observation. Even more speculatively, we examine the possibility that similar complementary concepts affect thermodynamical variables, such as the temperature and the entropy of a black hole.

By allowing torsion into the gravitational dynamics one can promote the cosmological constant, $\Lambda$, to a dynamical variable in a class of quasi-topological theories. In this paper we perform a mini-superspace quantization of these theories in the connection representation. If $\Lambda$ is kept fixed, the solution is a delta-normalizable version of the Chern-Simons (CS) state, which is the dual of the Hartle and Hawking and Vilenkin wave-functions. We find that the CS state solves the Wheeler-DeWitt equation also if $\Lambda$ is rendered dynamical by an Euler quasi-topological invariant, {\it in the parity-even branch of the theory}. In the absence of an infra-red (IR) cut-off, the CS state suggests the marginal probability $P(\Lambda)=\delta(\Lambda)$. Should there be an IR cutoff (for whatever reason) the probability is sharply peaked at the cut off. In the parity-odd branch, however, we can still find the CS state as a particular (but not most general) solution, but further work is needed to sharpen the predictions. For the theory based on the Pontryagin invariant (which only has a parity-odd branch) the CS wave function no longer is a solution to the constraints. We find the most general solution in this case, which again leaves room for a range of predictions for $\Lambda$., Comment: Version to be published in Phys.Rev.D

We show that the Chern-Simons (CS) state when reduced to mini-superspace is the Fourier dual of the Hartle-Hawking (HH) and Vilenkin (V) wave-functions of the Universe. This is to be expected, given that the former and latter solve the same constraint equation, written in terms of conjugate variables (loosely the expansion factor and the Hubble parameter). A number of subtleties in the mapping, related to the contour of integration of the connection, shed light on the issue of boundary conditions in quantum cosmology. If we insist on a {\it real} Hubble parameter, then only the HH wave-function can be represented by the CS state, with the Hubble parameter covering the whole real line. For the V (or tunnelling) wave-function the Hubble parameter is restricted to the positive real line (which makes sense, since the state only admits outgoing waves), but the contour also covers the whole negative imaginary axis. Hence the state is not admissible if reality conditions are imposed upon the connection. Modifications of the V state, requiring the addition of source terms to the Hamiltonian constraint, are examined and found to be more palatable. In the dual picture the HH state predicts a uniform distribution for the Hubble parameter over the whole real line; the modified V state a uniform distribution over the positive real line., Comment: Version correcting some typos in the Phys.Rev.D published version

In recent work minimal theories allowing the variation of the cosmological constant by means of a balancing torsion, have been proposed. It was found that such theories contain parity violating homogeneous and isotropic solutions, due to a torsion structure called the Cartan spiral staircase. Their dynamics are controlled by Euler and Pontryagin quasi-topological terms in the action. Here we show that such theories predict a dramatically different picture for gravitational wave fluctuations in the parity violating branch. If the dynamics are ruled solely by the Euler-type term, then linear tensor mode perturbations are entirely undetermined, hinting at a new type of gauge invariance. The Pontryagin term not only permits for phenomenologically sounder background solutions (as found in previous literature), but for realistic propagation of gravitational wave modes. We discuss the observational constraints and predictions of these theories.

We revisit models, within the Einstein-Cartan theory, where the cosmological constant $\Lambda$ is promoted to a variable, at the cost of allowing for torsion even in the absence of spinors. We remark that some standard notions about FRW Universes collapse in these theories, most notably spatial homogeneity and isotropy may now co-exist with violations of parity invariance. The parity violating solutions have non-vanishing Weyl curvature even within FRW models. The presence of parity violating torsion opens up the space of possible such theories with relevant FRW modifications: in particular the Pontryagin term can play an important role even in the absence of spinorial matter. We present a number of parity violating solutions with and without matter. The former are the non-self dual vacuum solutions long suspected to exist. The latter lead to tracking and non-tracking solutions with a number of observational problems, unless we invoke the Pontryagin term. An examination of the Hamiltonian structure of the theory reveals that the parity even and the parity violating solutions belong to two distinct branches of the theory, with different gauge symmetries (constraints) and different numbers of degrees of freedom. The parity even branch is nothing but standard relativity with a cosmological constant which has become pure gauge under conformal invariance if matter is absent, or a slave of matter (and so not an independent degree of freedom) if non-conformally invariant matter is present. In contrast, the parity violating branch contains a genuinely new degree of freedom., Comment: Citations updated

We provide a new extension of general relativity (GR) which has the remarkable property of being more constrained than GR plus a cosmological constant, having one less free parameter. This is implemented by allowing the cosmological constant to have a consistent space-time variation, through coding its dynamics in the torsion tensor. We demonstrate this mechanism by adding a `quasi-topological' term to the Einstein action, which naturally realizes a dynamical torsion with an automatic satisfaction of the Bianchi identities. Moreover, variation of the action with respect to this dynamical $\Lambda$ fixes it in terms of other variables, thus providing a scenario with less freedom than general relativity with a cosmological constant. Once matter is introduced, at least in the homogeneous and isotropic reduction, $\Lambda$ is uniquely determined by the field content of the model. We make an explicit construction using the Palatini formulation of GR and describe the striking properties of this new theory. We also highlight some possible extensions to the theory. A companion paper [1] explores the Friedmann--Robertson--Walker reduction for cosmology, and future work will study Solar System tests of the theory., Comment: Companion paper to arXiv:1905.10382. Minor updates to match published version

Inserting a varying Lambda in Einstein's field equations can be made consistent with the Bianchi identities by allowing for torsion, without the need to add scalar field degrees of freedom. In the minimal such theory, Lambda is totally free and undetermined by the field equations in the absence of matter. Inclusion of matter ties Lambda algebraically to it, at least when homogeneity and isotropy are assumed, i.e. when there is no Weyl curvature. We show that Lambda is proportional to the matter density, with a proportionality constant depending on the equation of state. Unfortunately, the proportionality constant becomes infinite for pure radiation, ruling out the minimal theory prima facie despite of its novel internal consistency. It is possible to generalize the theory still without the addition of kinetic terms, leading to a new algebraically-enforced proportionality between Lambda and the matter density. Lambda and radiation may now coexist in a form consistent with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, though this places strict constraints on the single free parameter of the theory, $\theta$. In the matter epoch Lambda behaves just like a dark matter component. Its density is proportional to the baryonic and/or dark matter, and its presence and gravitational effects would need to be included in accounting for the necessary dark matter in our Universe. This is a companion paper to Ref. [1] where the underlying gravitational theory is developed in detail., Comment: Companion paper to arXiv:1905.10380. Minor updates to match published version

We follow the life of a generic primordial perturbation mode (scalar or tensor) subject to modified dispersion relations (MDR), as its proper wavelength is stretched by expansion. A necessary condition ensuring that travelling waves can be converted into standing waves is that the mode starts its life deep inside the horizon and in the trans-Planckian regime, then leaves the horizon as the speed of light corresponding to its growing wavelength drops, to eventually become cis-Planckian whilst still outside the horizon, and finally re-enter the horizon at late times. We find that scalar modes in the observable range satisfy this condition, thus ensuring the viability of MDR models in this respect. For tensor modes we find a regime in which this does not occur, but in practice it can only be realised for wavelengths in the range probed by future gravity wave experiments if the quantum gravity scale experienced by gravity waves goes down to the PeV range. In this case travelling---rather than standing---primordial gravity waves could be the tell-tale signature of MDR scenarios., Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure. v2 matches version accepted for publication

We propose that the constants of Nature we observe (which appear as parameters in the classical action) are quantum observables in a kinematical Hilbert space. When all of these observables commute, our proposal differs little from the treatment given to classical parameters in quantum information theory, at least if we were to inhabit a constants' eigenstate. Non-commutativity introduces novelties, due to its associated uncertainty and complementarity principles, and it may even preclude hamiltonian evolution. The system typically evolves as a quantum superposition of hamiltonian evolutions resulting from a diagonalization process, and these are usually quite distinct from the original one (defined in terms of the non-commuting constants). We present several examples targeting $G$, $c$ and $\Lambda $, and the dynamics of homogeneous and isotropic Universes. If we base our construction on the Heisenberg algebra and the quantum harmonic oscillator, the alternative dynamics tends to silence matter (effectively setting $G$ to zero), and make curvature and the cosmological constant act as if their signs are reversed. Thus, the early Universe expands as a quantum superposition of different Milne or de Sitter expansions for all material equations of state, even though matter nominally dominates the density, $\rho $, because of the negligible influence of $G\rho $ on the dynamics. A superposition of Einstein static universes can also be obtained. We also investigate the results of basing our construction on the algebra of $SU(2)$, into which we insert information about the sign of a constant of Nature, or whether its action is switched on or off. In this case we find examples displaying quantum superpositions of bounces at the initial state for the Universe., Comment: Accepted manuscript

In this paper we propose that cosmological time is a quantum observable that does not commute with other quantum operators essential for the definition of cosmological states, notably the cosmological constant. This is inspired by properties of a measure of time---the Chern-Simons time---and the fact that in some theories it appears as a conjugate to the cosmological constant, with the two promoted to non-commuting quantum operators. Thus, the Universe may be "delocalised" in time: it does not {\it know} the time, a property which opens up new cosmological scenarios, as well as invalidating several paradoxes, such as the timelike tower of turtles associated with an omnipresent time line. Alternatively, a Universe with a sharply defined clock time must have an indeterminate cosmological constant. The challenge then is to explain how islands of localized time may emerge, and give rise to localized histories. In some scenarios this is achieved by backward transitions in quantum time, cycling the Universe in something akin to a time machine cycle, with classical flow and quantum ebbing. The emergence on matter in a sea of Lambda probably provides the ballast behind classical behaviour.

We present an extension of general relativity in which the cosmological constant becomes dynamical and turns out to be conjugate to the Chern-Simons invariant of the Ashtekar connection on a spatial slicing. The latter has been proposed in \cite{Chopin-Lee} as a time variable for quantum gravity: the Chern-Simons time. In the quantum theory the inverse cosmological constant and Chern-Simons time will then become conjugate operators. The "Kodama state" gets a new interpretation as a family of transition functions. These results imply an uncertainty relation between $\Lambda$ and Chern-Simons time; the consequences of which will be discussed elsewhere., Comment: 15 pages. no figures, minor improvments

The so-called "trans-Planckian" problem of inflation may be evaded by positing that modes come into existence only when they became "cis-Planckian" by virtue of expansion. However, this would imply that for any mode a new random realization would have to be drawn every $N$ wavelengths, with $N$ typically of order 1000 (but it could be larger or smaller). Such a re-drawing of realizations leads to a heteroskodastic distribution if the region under observation contains several such independent domains. This has no effect on the sampled power spectrum for a scale-invariant raw spectrum, but at very small scales it leads to a spectral index bias towards scale-invariance and smooths oscillations in the spectrum. The domain structure would also "unsqueeze" some of the propagating waves, i.e., dismantle their standing wave character. By describing standing waves as travelling waves of the same amplitude moving in opposite directions we determine the observational effects of unsqueezing. We find that it would erase the Doppler peaks in the CMB, but only on very small angular scales, where the primordial signal may not be readily accessible. The standing waves in a primordial gravitational wave background would also be turned into travelling waves. This unsqueezing of the gravitational wave background may constitute a detectable phenomenon.

We explore the possibility that well known properties of the parity operator, such as its idempotency and unitarity, might break down at the Planck scale. Parity might then do more than just swap right and left polarized states and reverse the sign of spatial momentum ${\bf k}$: it might generate superpositions of right and left handed states, as well as mix momenta of different magnitudes. We lay down the general formalism, but also consider the concrete case of the Planck scale kinematics governed by $\kappa$-Poincar\'e symmetries, where some of the general features highlighted appear explicitly. We explore some of the observational implications for cosmological fluctuations. Different power spectra for right handed and left handed tensor modes might actually be a manifestation of deformed parity symmetry at the Planck scale. Moreover, scale-invariance and parity symmetry appear deeply interconnected.

We consider the possibility that the primordial fluctuations (scalar and tensor) might have been standing waves at their moment of creation, whether or not they had a quantum origin. We lay down the general conditions for spatial translational invariance, and isolate the pieces of the most general such theory that comply with, or break translational symmetry. We find that, in order to characterize statistically translationally invariant standing waves, it is essential to consider the correlator $\langle c_0({\mathbf k}) c_0({\mathbf k}')\rangle$ in addition to the better known $\langle c_0({\mathbf k}) c_0^\dagger({\mathbf k}')\rangle$ (where $c_0({\mathbf k})$ are the complex amplitudes of travelling waves). We then examine how the standard process of "squeezing" (responsible for converting travelling waves into standing waves while the fluctuations are outside the horizon) reacts to being fed primordial standing waves. For translationally invariant systems only one type of standing wave, with the correct temporal phase (the "sine wave"), survives squeezing. Primordial standing waves might therefore be invisible at late times -- or not -- depending on their phase. Theories with modified dispersion relations behave differently in this respect, since only standing waves with the opposite temporal phase survive at late times.

In recent work we analyzed the evolution of primordial perturbations satisfying Planck-scale-modified dispersion relations and showed that there is no cosmological "squeezing" in the critical model that produces perturbations with a scale invariant spectrum. Nevertheless, the perturbations reenter the horizon as standing waves with the correct temporal phase because of the late-time decay of the momentum mode. Here we shed light on the absence of primordial squeezing by re-examining the problem in the dual rainbow frame, where $c$ is set to 1, shifting the varying $c$ effects elsewhere. In this frame gravity switches off at sub-Planckian wavelengths, so that the fluctuations behave as if they were in Minkowski spacetime. This is ultimately why they are not squeezed. However, away from the critical model squeezing does occur if the fluctuations spectrum is red, as is the case for scalar perturbations. Should the primordial gravity waves have a blue spectrum, we predict that they might not reenter the horizon as standing waves, because the momentum mode would be enhanced in the primordial phase.

In Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz gravity a scaling isotropic in space but anisotropic in spacetime, often called anisotropic scaling with the dynamical critical exponent z=3, lies at the base of its renormalizability. This scaling also leads to a novel mechanism of generating scale-invariant cosmological perturbations, solving the horizon problem without inflation. In this paper we propose a possible solution to the flatness problem, in which we assume that the initial condition of the Universe is set by a small instanton respecting the same scaling. We argue that the mechanism may be more general than the concrete model presented here, and rely simply on the deformed dispersion relations of the theory, and on equipartition of the various forms of energy at the starting point., Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures

In this paper we skim the true phenomenological requirements behind the concept of inflationary squeezing. We argue that all that is required is that at horizon re-entry the fluctuations form standing waves with the correct temporal phase (specifically, sine waves). We quantify this requirement and relate it to the initial conditions fed into the radiation dominated epoch by whatever phase of the Universe produced the fluctuations. The only relevant quantity turns out to be the degree of suppression of the momentum, $p$, of the fluctuations, $y$, which we measure by $\sigma\sim \omega^2 |y|^2/|p|^2$. Even though $\sigma$ equals the squeezing parameter, $s$, in the case of inflation and bimetric varying speed of light scenarios, this is not true in general, specifically in some bouncing Universe models. It is also not necessary to produce a large $\sigma$ at the end of the primordial phase: it is enough that $\sigma$ be not too small. This is the case with scenarios based on modified dispersion relations (MDR) emulating the dispersion relations of Horava-Lifshitz theory, which produce $\sigma\sim 1$, enough to comply with the observational requirements. Scenarios based on MDR leading to a slightly red spectrum are also examined, and shown to satisfy the observational constraints., Comment: v2: Typos corrected. Matches the accepted version on JCAP