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Free keywords:
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology, gr-qc,High Energy Physics - Theory, hep-th
Abstract:
We study the process of quantum tunnelling in self-interacting scalar field
theories with non-minimal coupling to gravity. In these theories gravitational
instantons can develop a neck -- a feature prohibited in theories with minimal
coupling, and describing the nucleation of geometries containing a wormhole. We
also clarify the relationship of neck geometries to violations of the null
energy condition.
