Nonequilibrium Quantum Fields in Cosmology: Comments on Selected Current Topics

Abstract

Concepts of quantum open systems and ideas of correlation dynamics in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, as well as methods of closed-time-path effective action and influence functional in quantum field theory can be usefully applied for the analysis of quantum statistical processes in gravitation and cosmology. We raise a few conceptual questions and suggest some new directions of research on selected currrent topics on the physics of the early universe, such as entropy generation in cosmological particle creation, quantum theory of galaxy formation, and phase transition in inflationary cosmology.