WORMHOLES IN HIGHER DIMENSIONS WITH GAUSS-BONNET TERMS

A class of wormhole solutions permitted in a theory with Gauss-Bonnet terms in the gravitational action in higher dimensions have been studi ed. The case of de-Sitter type instantons, with a compact inner space, are of particular interest here. Some of the configurations, when con tinued analytically to the Lorentzian metric lead to the standard infl ationary universe. Some multiple-sphere configurations of the type stu died by Myers have also been noted. The Euclidean action for the solut ions has been calculated and the relevance of the solutions in the qua ntum creation of the universe has been considered.