Can Quantum Gravitational Effects Influence the Entire History of the Universe?
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
2010-05-12 v1 Astrophysics
High Energy Physics - Theory
Abstract
In this work, a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe with dust and a cosmological constant is quantized. By means of a canonical transformation, the classical Hamiltonian is reduced to that of either a harmonic oscillator or anti-oscillator, depending on whether or , respectively. In this way exact solutions to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation can easily be obtained. It turns out that a positive cosmological constant alone may account for an early inflationary regime and a later accelerated expansion phase, with a period of decelerated expansion in between. This suggests that quantum gravitational effects can influence most of the history or even the entire history of the Universe.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.0805.3971,
title = {Can Quantum Gravitational Effects Influence the Entire History of the Universe?},
author = {Edésio M. Barboza and Nivaldo A. Lemos},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0805.3971},
year = {2010}
}
Comments
To appear in the Physical Review D