Quantum Cosmology and the Structure of Inflationary Universe

Abstract

In this review I consider several different issues related to inflation. I will begin with the wave function of the Universe. This issue is pretty old, but recently there were some new insights based on the theory of the self-reproducing inflationary universe. Then we will discuss stationarity of inflationary universe and the possibility to make predictions in the context of quantum cosmology using stochastic approach to inflation. Returning to more pragmatic aspects of inflationary theory, we will discuss inflationary models with $Ω< 1$. Finally, we will describe several aspects of the theory of reheating of the Universe based on the effect of parametric resonance.

43 pages, LaTeX, Invited talk at the joint Johns Hopkins Workshop - PASCOS meeting, Baltimore, 1995