2021/08/28 by Bao-Fei Li, Parampreet Singh · 8 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Classical mechanics #Cosmological constant #Cosmology #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #De Sitter universe #Initial singularity #Loop quantum cosmology #Loop quantum gravity #Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories #Physics #Quantum #Quantum cosmology #Quantum gravity #Quantum mechanics #Scalar field #Theoretical physics #Universe #astro-ph.CO #gr-qc #hep-th
paper · pdf · open access · doi:10.1103/physrevd.105.046013
published in Physical review. D/Physical review. D. 105(4) (American Physical Society) · 23 pages, 10 figures
arxiv created 2021/08/28 · openalex publication_date 2022/02/22 · openalex created_date 2022/02/24 · arxiv updated 2022/03/14 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
It is generally expected that in a non-singular cosmological model a cyclic evolution is straightforward to obtain on introduction of a suitable choice of a scalar field with a negative potential or a negative cosmological constant which causes a recollapse at some time in the evolution. We present a counter example to this conventional wisdom. Working in the realm of loop cosmological models with non-perturbative quantum gravity modifications we show that a modified version of standard loop quantum cosmology based on Thiemann's regularization of the Hamiltonian constraint while generically non-singular does not allow a cyclic evolution unless some highly restrictive conditions hold. Irrespective of the energy density of other matter fields, a recollapse and hence a cyclic evolution is only possible if one chooses an almost Planck sized negative potential of the scalar field or a negative cosmological constant. Further, cycles when present do not occur in the classical regime. Surprisingly, a necessary condition for a cyclic evolution, not singularity resolution, turns out to be a violation of the weak energy condition. These results are in a striking contrast to standard loop quantum cosmology where obtaining a recollapse at large volumes and a cyclic evolution is straightforward, and, there is no violation of weak energy condition. On one hand our work shows that some quantum cosmological models even though non-singular and bouncing are incompatible with a cyclic evolution, and on the other hand demonstrates that differences in various quantization prescriptions in loop cosmology need not be faint and buried in the pre-bounce regime, but can be striking and profound even in the post-bounce regime.