ON THE COSMOLOGICAL CONSTANT IN QUANTUM COSMOLOGY OF THE BRANS–DICKE THEORY

Abstract

We study the issue of the cosmological constant in quantum cosmology combined with the Brans–Dicke gravitational theory. Using the minisuperspace approximation, we build up the Wheeler–De Witt equation and then obtain the wave function of the universe by further assuming the WKB approximation under the boundary condition proposed by Vilenkin. It is shown that the amplitude of the resulting wave function, which represents an expanding universe, reaches its peaks if the cosmological constant vanishes.