Quantum Geometric Description of Cosmological Models

2011

This is an introduction to loop quantum cosmology (LQC) reviewing mini- and midisuperspace models as well as homogeneous and inhomogeneous effective dynamics.

Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2012

2014

The development of a quantum theory of gravity has been ongoing in the theoretical physics community for about 80 years, yet it remains unsolved. In this dissertation, we review the loop quantum gravity approach and its application to cosmology, better known as loop quantum cosmology. In particular, we present the background formalism of the full theory together with its main result, namely the discreteness of space on the Planck scale. For its application to cosmology, we focus on the homogeneous isotropic universe with free massless scalar field. We present the kinematical structure and the features it shares with the full theory. Also, we review the way in which classical Big Bang singularity is avoided in this model. Specifically, the spectrum of the operator corresponding to the classical inverse scale factor is bounded from above, the quantum evolution is governed by a difference rather than a differential equation and the Big Bang is replaced by a Big Bounce.

2007

A small simplification based on well motivated approximations is shown to make loop quantum cosmology of the k=0 FRW model (with a massless scalar field) exactly soluble. Analytical methods are then used i) to show that the quantum bounce is generic; ii) to establish that the matter density has an absolute upper bound which, furthermore, equals the critical density that first emerged in numerical simulations and effective equations; iii) to bring out the precise sense in which the Wheeler DeWitt theory approximates loop quantum cosmology and the sense in which this approximation fails; and iv) to show that discreteness underlying LQC is fundamental. Finally, the model is compared to analogous discussions in the literature and it is pointed out that some of their expectations do not survive a more careful examination. An effort has been made to make the underlying structure transparent also to those who are not familiar with details of loop quantum gravity.

Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2011

Loop quantum cosmology (LQC) is the result of applying principles of loop quantum gravity (LQG) to cosmological settings. The distinguishing feature of LQC is the prominent role played by the quantum geometry effects of LQG. In particular, quantum geometry creates a brand new repulsive force which is totally negligible at low space-time curvature but rises very rapidly in the Planck regime, overwhelming the classical gravitational attraction. In cosmological models, while Einstein's equations hold to an excellent degree of approximation at low curvature, they undergo major modifications in the Planck regime: For matter satisfying the usual energy conditions any time a curvature invariant grows to the Planck scale, quantum geometry effects dilute it, thereby resolving singularities of general relativity. Quantum geometry corrections become more sophisticated as the models become richer. In particular, in anisotropic models there are significant changes in the dynamics of shear potentials which tame their singular behavior in striking contrast to older results on anisotropies in bouncing models. Once singularities are resolved, the conceptual paradigm of cosmology changes and one has to revisit many of the standard issues-e.g., the 'horizon problem'-from a new perspective. Such conceptual issues as well as potential observational consequences of the new Planck scale physics are being explored, especially within the inflationary paradigm. These considerations have given rise to a burst of activity in LQC in recent years, with contributions from quantum gravity experts, mathematical physicists and cosmologists. The goal of this article is to provide an overview of the current state of the art in LQC for three sets of audiences: young researchers interested in entering this area; the quantum gravity community in general; and, cosmologists who wish to apply LQC to probe modifications in the standard paradigm of the early universe. An effort has been made to streamline the material so that each of these communities can read only the sections they are most interested in, without a loss of continuity.

Physical Review D, 2020

This article sheds new light on the problem of cosmological reduction in Loop Quantum Gravity. We critically analyze Quantum Reduced Loop Gravity-an attempt to extract the cosmological sector of the full theory. We reconsider the reduction procedure applied to the states of the kinematical Hilbert space, developing a comparative analysis with previous efforts in the literature. We show that the constraints of the model were formerly instantiated in an inconsistent fashion, leading to an overconstrained dynamics and an ill-defined Hilbert space. We then scrutinize alternative implementations of symmetry-reduction. While remaining unaffected by the shortcomings encountered in Quantum Reduced Loop Gravity, these latter procedures bridge the gap between the full theory and former endeavors in Loop Quantum Cosmology.

Scientific reports, 2017

Loop quantum gravity is believed to eliminate singularities such as the big bang and big crunch singularity. This belief is based on studies of so-called loop quantum cosmology which concerns symmetry-reduced models of quantum gravity. In this paper, the problem of singularities is analysed in the context of the Bohmian formulation of loop quantum cosmology. In this formulation there is an actual metric in addition to the wave function, which evolves stochastically (rather than deterministically as the case of the particle evolution in non-relativistic Bohmian mechanics). Thus a singularity occurs whenever this actual metric is singular. It is shown that in the loop quantum cosmology for a homogeneous and isotropic Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker space-time with arbitrary constant spatial curvature and cosmological constant, coupled to a massless homogeneous scalar field, a big bang or big crunch singularity is never obtained. This should be contrasted with the fact that in the ...

Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2012

The holonomy-flux algebra A of loop quantum gravity is known to admit a natural representation that is uniquely singled out by the requirement of covariance under spatial diffeomorphisms. In the cosmological context, the requirement of spatial homogeneity naturally reduces A to a much smaller algebra, A Red , used in loop quantum cosmology. In Bianchi I models, it is shown that the requirement of covariance under residual diffeomorphism symmetries again uniquely selects the representation of A Red that has been commonly used. We discuss the close parallel between the two uniqueness results and also point out a difference.

Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2007

In this paper we address the meaning of states in loop quantum cosmology (LQC), in the context of loop quantum gravity. First, we introduce a rigorous formulation of an embedding proposed by Bojowald and Kastrup, of LQC states into loop quantum gravity. Then, using certain holomorphic representations, a new class of embeddings, called b-embeddings, are constructed, following the ideas of . We exhibit a class of operators preserving each of these embeddings, and show their consistency with the LQC quantization. In the b-embedding case, the classical analogues of these operators separate points in phase space. Embedding at the gauge and diffeomorphism invariant level is discussed briefly in the conclusions.

Physical Review D, 2011

Various prescriptions proposed in the literature to attain the polymeric quantization of a homogeneous and isotropic flat spacetime coupled to a massless scalar field are carefully analyzed in order to discuss their differences. A detailed numerical analysis confirms that, for states which are not deep in the quantum realm, the expectation values and dispersions of some natural observables of interest in cosmology are qualitatively the same for all the considered prescriptions. On the contrary, the amplitude of the wave functions of those states differs considerably at the bounce epoch for these prescriptions. This difference cannot be absorbed by a change of representation. Finally, the prescriptions with simpler superselection sectors are clearly more efficient from the numerical point of view.