Open EFTs and Decoherence of Primordial Fluctuations

Explore a comprehensive lecture on the decoherence of primordial fluctuations in inflationary models and the application of Open EFT techniques. Delve into the quantum origin of primordial fluctuations observed in structure formation and the cosmic microwave background. Examine a calculation of decoherence rates within single-field inflationary models using minimal interactions required by General Relativity. Discover how decoherence efficiently occurs for super-Hubble modes during inflation, despite weak gravitational interactions. Investigate the implications for testing the quantum nature of primordial fluctuations and understand how Open EFT techniques, borrowed from optics and atomic systems, extend perturbative methods to late times in gravitating systems. Learn about the relevance of these techniques for phenomena like eternal inflation and black-hole information loss. Presented by Cliff Burgess, this 1 hour 23 minute talk from the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies offers valuable insights into cutting-edge cosmological research.