IAS Fundamental Physics Seminar Series - Unimodular JT Gravity and de Sitter Quantum Cosmology

Abstract
In this talk, the speaker will show how a gauge-theoretic approach to Jackiw–Teitelboim (JT) gravity naturally yields a two-dimensional Henneaux–Teitelboim (HT) unimodular theory, applicable to both flat and curved spacetimes. Under a mini-superspace reduction, the Wheeler–DeWitt equation becomes a Schrödinger-like equation admitting a consistent, unitary quantum description. The resulting wavefunction describes a quantum distribution for the scale factor, illuminating cosmic expansion and contraction, and allowing topology change at a=0.