Quantum cosmology with a big-brake singularity

Journal Article · Sat Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.76.064032· OSTI ID:21032262

Kamenshchik, Alexander Y; Kiefer, Claus; Sandhoefer, Barbara ^[1]

---

1. Dipartimento di Fisica and INFN, Via Irnerio 46, 40126 Bologna (Italy)

We investigate a cosmological model with a big-brake singularity in the future: while the first time derivative of the scale factor goes to zero, its second time derivative tends to minus infinity. Although we also discuss the classical version of the model in some detail, our main interest lies in its quantization. We formulate the Wheeler-DeWitt equation and derive solutions describing wave packets. We show that all such solutions vanish in the region of the classical singularity, a behavior which we interpret as singularity avoidance. We then discuss the same situation in loop quantum cosmology. While this leads to a different factor ordering, the singularity is avoided there, too.

• OSTI ID: 21032262
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Journal Name: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 76; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
COSMOLOGY
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
QUANTIZATION
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
SINGULARITY
WAVE PACKETS