Loop quantum cosmology and singularities. 2017

Ward Struyve
Mathematisches Institut, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstr. 39, 80333, München, Germany. ward.struyve@gmail.com.

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 Bohmian formulation of the Wheeler-DeWitt theory singularities may exist.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries

Related Publications

Ward Struyve
December 2008, Physical review letters,
Ward Struyve
July 1995, Physical review. D, Particles and fields,
Ward Struyve
January 2005, Living reviews in relativity,
Ward Struyve
January 2008, Living reviews in relativity,
Ward Struyve
April 1996, Physical review. D, Particles and fields,
Ward Struyve
June 1987, Physical review. D, Particles and fields,
Ward Struyve
February 1993, Physical review. D, Particles and fields,
Ward Struyve
February 2009, Physical review letters,
Ward Struyve
November 2011, Physical review letters,
Ward Struyve
February 2002, Science (New York, N.Y.),
Copied contents to your clipboard!