Sang Pyo Kim

In the space-dependent gauge, each mode of the Klein-Gordon equation in a strong electric field takes the form of a time-independent Schr\"{o}dinger equation with a potential barrier. We propose that the single- and multi-instantons of quantum tunneling may be related with the single- and multi-pair production of bosons and the relative probability for the no-pair production is determined by the total tunneling probability via instantons. In the case of a uniform electric field, the instanton interpretation recovers exactly the well-known pair production rate for bosons and when the Pauli blocking is taken into account, it gives the correct fermion production rate. The instanton is used to calculate the pair production rate even in an inhomogeneous electric field. Furthermore, the instanton interpretation confirms the fact that bosons and fermions can not be produced by a static magnetic field only.

We study the analytic structure of the S matrix which is obtained from the reduced Wheeler-DeWitt wave function describing spherically symmetric gravitational collapse of massless scalar fields. The complex simple poles in the S matrix lead to the wave functions that satisfy the same boundary condition as quasinormal modes of a black hole, and correspond to the bounded states of the Euclidean Wheeler-DeWitt equation. These wave function are interpreted as quantum instantons.

Open systems acquire time-dependent coupling constants through interaction with an external field or environment. We generalize the Lewis-Riesenfeld invariant theorem to open system of quantum fields after second quantization. The generalized invariants and thereby the quantum evolution are found explicitly for time-dependent quadratic fermionic systems. The pair production of fermions is computed and other physical implications are discussed.

We study classically and quantum mechanically the Euclidean geometries compatible with an open inflationary universe of a Lorentzian geometry. The Lorentzian geometry of the open universe with an ordinary matter state matches either an open or a closed Euclidean geometry at the cosmological singularity. With an exotic matter state it matches only the open Euclidean geometry and describes a genuine instanton regular at the boundary of a finite radius. The wave functions are found that describe the quantum creation of the open inflationary universe.

We study the analytic structure of the S-matrix which is obtained from the reduced Wheeler-DeWitt wave function describing spherically symmetric gravitational collapse of massless scalar fields. The complex simple poles in the S-matrix lead to the wave functions that satisfy the same boundary condition as quasi-normal modes of a black hole, and correspond to the bounded states of the Euclidean Wheeler-DeWitt equation. These wave function are interpreted as quantum instantons.

We study canonical quantization of a closed Euclidean universe with a cosmological constant and a massless scalar field. The closed Euclidean universe with an ordinary matter state can be matched at a finite radius only with the closed Lorentzian universe with the Wick-rotated exotic state. The exotic state provides the Lorentzian universe with a potential barrier extending from the cosmological singularity to the classical turning point and corresponding to the Euclidean geometry through the Wick-rotation, and avoid the singularity problem at the matching boundary. We find analytically the approximate wave functions for quantum creation of the Universe from the {\it nothingness}. We prescribe the Hartle-Hawking's no-boundary wave function, Linde's wave function and Vilenkin's tunneling wave function. In particular, we find the wave function for the Euclidean geometry, whose semiclassical solution is regular at the matching boundary with the Lorentzian geometry but singular at the cosmological singularity.