The Wave Function of Quantum de Sitter

Abstract

We consider quantum general relativity in three dimensions with a positive cosmological constant. The Hartle-Hawking wave function is computed as a function of metric data at asymptotic future infinity. The analytic continuation from Euclidean Anti-de Sitter space provides a natural integration contour in the space of metrics, allowing us -- with certain assumptions -- to compute the wave function exactly, including both perturbative and non-perturbative effects. The resulting wave function is a non-normalizable function of the conformal structure of future infinity which is infinitely peaked at geometries where I^+ becomes infinitely inhomogeneous. We interpret this as a non-perturbative instability of de Sitter space in three dimensional Einstein gravity.