Abstract
The recent development in quantum geometrodynamics highlights new problems which were not obvious in its first formulation proposed by Wheeler and DeWitt. At the first stage, the main task was to apply the known quantization schemes to the gravitational field or a certain cosmologicalmodel. This trend has led to realization of the fact that a quantum description of the Universe is impossible without implicit or explicit indication to a reference frame represented by some mediumfilling the whole Universe, with its own equation of state and thermodynamical properties. Thus questions arise: should one seek a “privileged” reference frame or consider the whole variety of gauge conditions and appropriate solutions for the wave function? It is worth noting that the thermodynamic properties of such a quantum Universe would also depend on a chosen reference frame to some extent. So, we need a self-consistent quantum-theoretical and thermodynamic description of the Universe.
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Talk given at the International Conference RUSGRAV-13, June 23–28, 2008, PRUR, Moscow.