Abstract

The quantum creation of closed membranes by totally antisymmetric tensor and gravitational fields is considered in arbitrary space-time dimension. The creation event is described by instanton tunneling. As membranes are produced, the energy density associated with the antisymmetric tensor fielld decreases, reducing the effective value of the cosmological constant. For a wide range of parameters and initial conditions, this process will naturally stop as soon as the cosmological constant is near zero, even if the energy remaining in the antisymmetric tensor field is large. Among the instantons obtained, some are interpreted as representing a topology change, in which an open space spontaneously compactifies; however, the quantum probability for these processes vanishes.