No Arabic abstract
We investigate a particular regularization of big bang singularity, which remains within the domain of 4-dimensional general relativity but allowing for degenerate metrics. We study the geodesics and geodesic congruences in the modified Friedmann-Lema^itre-Robertson-Walker universe. In particular, we calculate the expansion of timelike and null geodesic congruences. Based on these results, we also briefly discuss the cosmological singularity theorems.
We propose a gravitational model with a Brans-Dicke-type scalar field having, in the would-be action, a wrong-sign kinetic term and a quartic interaction term. In a cosmological context, we obtain, depending on the boundary conditions, either the Friedmann solution or a kink-bounce solution. The expanding-universe Friedmann solution has a big bang curvature singularity, whereas the kink-bounce solution has a nonsingular bouncing behavior of the cosmic scale factor. The bounce occurs precisely at the moment when the scalar field of the kink-type configuration goes through zero, making for a vanishing effective gravitational coupling.
We present a simplified dynamic-vacuum-energy model for a time-symmetric Milne-like universe. The big bang singularity in this simplified model, like the one in a previous model, is just a coordinate singularity with finite curvature and energy density. We then calculate the dynamic behavior of scalar metric perturbations and find that these perturbations destabilize the big bang singularity.
We study the accelerated expansion of the Universe through its consequences on a congruence of geodesics. We make use of the Raychaudhuri equation which describes the evolution of the expansion rate for a congruence of timelike or null geodesics. In particular, we focus on the space-time geometry contribution to this equation. By straightforward calculation from the metric of a Robertson-Walker cosmological model, it follows that in an accelerated expanding Universe the space-time contribution to the Raychaudhuri equation is positive for the fundamental congruence, favoring a non-focusing of the congruence of geodesics. However, the accelerated expansion of the present Universe does not imply a tendency of the fundamental congruence to diverge. It is shown that this is in fact the case for certain congruences of timelike geodesics without vorticity. Therefore, the focusing of geodesics remains feasible in an accelerated expanding Universe. Furthermore, a negative contribution to the Raychaudhuri equation from space-time geometry which is usually interpreted as the manifestation of the attractive character of gravity is restored in an accelerated expanding Robertson-Walker space-time at high speeds.
Big bang of the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW)-brane universe is studied. In contrast to the spacelike initial singularity of the usual FRW universe, the initial singularity of the FRW-brane universe is point-like from the viewpoint of causality including gravitational waves propagating in the bulk. Existence of null singularities (seam singuralities) is also shown in the flat and open FRW-brane universe models.
The large-$N$ master field of the Lorentzian IIB matrix model can, in principle, give rise to a particular degenerate metric relevant to a regularized big bang. The length parameter of this degenerate metric is then calculated in terms of the IIB-matrix-model length scale.