No Arabic abstract
We implement the no-boundary proposal for the wave function of the universe in an exactly solvable Bianchi IX minisuperspace model with two scale factors. We extend our earlier work (Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 081302, 2018 / arXiv:1804.01102) to include the contribution from the $mathbb{C}text{P}^2 setminus B^4$ topology. The resulting wave function yields normalizable probabilities and thus fits into a predictive framework for semiclassical quantum cosmology. We find that the amplitude is low for large anisotropies. In the isotropic limit the usual Hartle-Hawking wave function for the de Sitter minisuperspace model is recovered. Inhomogeneous perturbations in an extended minisuperspace are shown to be initially in their ground state. We also demonstrate that the precise mathematical implementation of the no-boundary proposal as a functional integral in minisuperspace depends on detailed aspects of the model, including the choice of gauge-fixing. This shows in particular that the choice of contour cannot be fundamental, adding weight to the recent proposal that the semiclassical no-boundary wave function should be defined solely in terms of a collection of saddle points. We adopt this approach in most of this paper. Finally we show that the semiclassical tunneling wave function of the universe is essentially equal to the no-boundary state in this particular minisuperspace model, at least in the subset of the classical domain where the former is known.
The dynamics of the most general Bianchi IX cosmology with three time dependent scale factors for the Einstein-Skyrme system is analyzed. For the Skyrmion, a generalized hedgehog ansatz with unit baryon charge is introduced. The most remarkable feature of this ansatz is that, in the above topologically non-trivial sector with unit topological charge, the Skyrme field equations are identically satisfied on any Bianchi IX metric. We will show that due to this feature the complete set of coupled Einstein-Skyrme field equations can be deduced from a suitable minisuperspace Lagrangian. The latter allows to perform a systematic study of the integrability properties of the Einstein-Skyrme system for the Bianchi IX cosmology. Moreover, some analytic and algebraic solutions for the Einstein-Skyrme model are derived. Another remarkable consequence of the present formalism is that it is possible to derive the Wheeler de-Witt equation for the Bianchi IX metric in the Einstein-Skyrme cosmology in which all the effects of the Skyrmion are encoded in an effective potential of the minisuperspace Lagrangian.
The canonical quantum theory of gravity -- Quantum Geometrodynamics (QG) is applied to the homogeneous Bianchi type IX cosmological model. As a result, the framework for the quantum theory of homogeneous cosmologies is developed. We show that the theory is internally consistent, and prove that it possesses the correct classical limit (the theory of general relativity). To emphasize the special role that the constraints play in this new theory we, compare it to the traditional ADM square-root and Wheeler-DeWitt quantization schemes. We show that, unlike the traditional approaches, QG leads to a well-defined Schrodinger equation for the wave-function of the universe that is inherently coupled to the expectation value of the constraint equations. This coupling to the constraints is responsible for the appearance of a coherent spacetime picture. Thus, the physical meaning of the constraints of the theory is quite different from Diracs interpretation. In light of this distinctive feature of the theory, we readdress the question of the dark energy effects in the Bianchi IX cosmological model for highly non-classical quantum states. We show that, at least for this model, for any choice of the initial wave function, the quantum corrections will not produce the accelerated expansion of the universe.
In this paper we study the exact solutions for a viscous fluid distribution in Bianchi II, VIII, and IX models. The metric is simplified by assuming a relationship between the coefficients and the metric tensor. Solutions are obtained in two special cases: in one, an additional assumption is made where the matter density and the expansion scalar have a definite relation and in the other a barotropic equation of state between the matter density and the thermodynamic pressure is assumed. While the Bianchi II solutions are already found in the literature the other two classes of solutions are apparently new.
In this paper, we study a class of symmetry reduced models of $mathcal{N}=1$ supergravity using self-dual variables. It is based on a particular Ansatz for the gravitino field as proposed by DEath et al. We show that the essential part of the constraint algebra in the classical theory closes. In particular, the (graded) Poisson bracket between the left and right supersymmetry constraint reproduces the Hamiltonian constraint. For the quantum theory, we apply techniques from the manifestly supersymmetric approach to loop quantum supergravity, which yields a graded analog of the holonomy-flux algebra and a natural state space. We implement the remaining constraints in the quantum theory. For a certain subclass of these models, we show explicitly that the (graded) commutator of the supersymmetry constraints exactly reproduces the classical Poisson relations. In particular, the trace of the commutator of left and right supersymmetry constraints reproduces the Hamilton constraint operator. Finally, we consider the dynamics of the theory and compare it to a quantization using standard variables and standard minisuperspace techniques.
In recent work, we introduced Picard-Lefschetz theory as a tool for defining the Lorentzian path integral for quantum gravity in a systematic semiclassical expansion. This formulation avoids several pitfalls occurring in the Euclidean approach. Our method provides, in particular, a more precise formulation of the Hartle-Hawking no boundary proposal, as a sum over real Lorentzian four-geometries interpolating between an initial three-geometry of zero size, {it i.e}, a point, and a final three-geometry. With this definition, we calculated the no boundary amplitude for a closed universe with a cosmological constant, assuming cosmological symmetry for the background and including linear perturbations. We found the opposite semiclassical exponent to that obtained by Hartle and Hawking for the creation of a de Sitter spacetime from nothing. Furthermore, we found the linearized perturbations to be governed by an {it inverse} Gaussian distribution, meaning they are unsuppressed and out of control. Recently, Diaz Dorronsoro {it et al.} followed our methods but attempted to rescue the no boundary proposal by integrating the lapse over a different, intrinsically complex contour. Here, we show that, in addition to the desired Hartle-Hawking saddle point contribution, their contour yields extra, non-perturbative corrections which again render the perturbations unsuppressed. We prove there is {it no} choice of complex contour for the lapse which avoids this problem. We extend our discussion to include backreaction in the leading semiclassical approximation, fully nonlinearly for the lowest tensor harmonic and to second order for all higher modes. Implications for quantum de Sitter spacetime and for cosmic inflation are briefly discussed.