arXiv subjects

Jakub Mielczarek

Publications and source records attributed to Jakub Mielczarek.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

The Nonlinear Field Space Theory

In recent years the idea that not only the configuration space of particles, i.e. spacetime, but also the corresponding momentum space may have nontrivial geometry has attracted significant attention, especially in the context of quantum gravity. The aim of this letter is to extend this concept to the domain of field theories, by introducing field spaces (i.e. phase spaces of field values) that are not affine spaces. After discussing the motivation and general aspects of our approach we present a detailed analysis of the prototype (quantum) Nonlinear Field Space Theory of a scalar field on the Minkowski background. We show that the nonlinear structure of a field space leads to numerous interesting predictions, including: non-locality, generalization of the uncertainty relations, algebra deformations, constraining of the maximal occupation number, shifting of the vacuum energy and renormalization of the charge and speed of propagation of field excitations. Furthermore, a compact field space is a natural way to implement the "Principle of Finiteness" of physical theories, which once motivated the Born-Infeld theory. Thus the presented framework has a variety of potential applications in the theories of fundamental interactions (e.g. quantum gravity), as well as in condensed matter physics (e.g. continuous spin chains), and can shed new light on the issue of divergences in quantum field theories.

hep-th↗

arXiv2016

Primordial scalar power spectrum from the Euclidean Big Bounce

In effective models of loop quantum cosmology, the holonomy corrections are associated with deformations of space-time symmetries. The most evident manifestation of the deformations is the emergence of an Euclidean phase accompanying the non-singular bouncing dynamics of the scale factor. In this article, we compute the power spectrum of scalar perturbations generated in this model, with a massive scalar field as the matter content. Instantaneous and adiabatic vacuum-type initial conditions for scalar perturbations are imposed in the contracting phase. The evolution through the Euclidean region is calculated based on the extrapolation of the time direction pointed by the vectors normal to the Cauchy hypersurface in the Lorentzian domains. The obtained power spectrum is characterized by a suppression in the IR regime and oscillations in the intermediate energy range. Furthermore, the speculative extension of the analysis in the UV reveals a specific rise of the power.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2015

Phenomenology of Causal Dynamical Triangulations

The four dimensional Causal Dynamical Triangulations (CDT) approach to quantum gravity is already more than ten years old theory with numerous unprecedented predictions such as non-trivial phase structure of gravitational field and dimensional running. Here, we discuss possible empirical consequences of CDT derived based on the two features of the approach mentioned above. A possibility of using both astrophysical and cosmological observations to test CDT is discussed. We show that scenarios which can be ruled out at the empirical level exist.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2015

Some implications of signature-change in cosmological models of loop quantum gravity

Signature change at high density has been obtained as a possible consequence of deformed space-time structures in models of loop quantum gravity. This article provides a conceptual discussion of implications for cosmological scenarios, based on an application of mathematical results for mixed-type partial differential equations (the Tricomi problem). While the effective equations from which signature change has been derived are shown to be locally regular and therefore reliable, the underlying theory of loop quantum gravity may face several global problems in its semiclassical solutions.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2014

Level spacing distribution for the prototype of the Bianchi IX model

Our results concern quantum chaos of the vacuum Bianchi IX model. We apply the equilateral triangle potential well approximation to the potential of the Bianchi IX model to solve the eigenvalue problem for the physical Hamiltonian. Such approximation is well satisfied in vicinity of the cosmic singularity. Level spacing distribution of the eigenvalues is studied with and without applying the unfolding procedure. In both cases, the obtained distributions are qualitatively described by Brody's distribution with the parameter $β\approx0.3$, revealing some sort of the level repulsion. The observed repulsion may reflect chaotic nature of the classical dynamics of the Bianchi IX universe. However, full understanding of this effects will require examination of the Bianchi IX model with the exact potential.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2014

Big Bang as a critical point

This essay addresses the issue of gravitational phase transitions in the early universe. We suggest that a second order phase transition observed in the Causal Dynamical Triangulations approach to quantum gravity may have a cosmological relevance. The phase transition interpolates between a non-geometric crumpled phase of gravity, and an extended phase with classical properties. Transitions of this kind have been postulated earlier in the context of geometrogenesis in Quantum Graphity. We show that critical behavior may also be associated with a signature change event in Loop Quantum Cosmology. In both cases, classical spacetime originates at the critical point associated with a second order phase transition.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2013

Inflationary power spectra with quantum holonomy corrections

In this paper we study slow-roll inflation with holonomy corrections from loop quantum cosmology. Both tensor and scalar power spectra of primordial perturbations are computed up to the first order in slow-roll parameters and $V/ρ_{c}$, where $V$ is a potential of the scalar field and $ρ_{c}$ is a critical energy density (expected to be of the order of the Planck energy density). Possible normalizations of modes at short scales are discussed. In case the normalization is performed with use of the Wronskian condition applied to adiabatic vacuum, the tensor and scalar spectral indices are not quantum corrected in the leading order. However, by choosing an alternative method of normalization one can obtain quantum corrections in the leading order. Furthermore, we show that the holonomy-corrected equation of motion for tensor modes can be derived from an effective background metric. This allows us to prove that the Wronskian normalization condition for the tensor modes preserves the classical form.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2013

Loop-deformed Poincaré algebra

In this essay we present evidence suggesting that loop quantum gravity leads to deformation of the local Poincaré algebra within the limit of high energies. This deformation is a consequence of quantum modification of effective off-shell hypersurface deformation algebra. Surprisingly, the form of deformation suggests that the signature of space-time changes from Lorentzian to Euclidean at large curvatures. We construct particular realization of the loop-deformed Poincaré algebra and find that it can be related to curved momentum space, which indicates the relationship with recently introduced notion of relative locality. The presented findings open a new way of testing loop quantum gravity effects.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2013

Quantum states of the bouncing universe

In this paper we study quantum dynamics of the bouncing cosmological model. We focus on the model of the flat Friedman-Robertson-Walker universe with a free scalar field. The bouncing behavior, which replaces classical singularity, appears due to the modification of general relativity along the methods of loop quantum cosmology. We show that there exist a unitary transformation that enables to describe the system as a free particle with Hamiltonian equal to canonical momentum. We examine properties of the various quantum states of the Universe: boxcar state, standard coherent state, and soliton-like state, as well as Schr{ö}dinger's cat states constructed from these states. Characteristics of the states such as quantum moments and Wigner functions are investigated. We show that each of these states have, for some range of parameters, a proper semiclassical limit fulfilling the correspondence principle. Decoherence of the superposition of two universes is described and possible interpretations in terms of triad orientation and Belinsky-Khalatnikov-Lifshitz conjecture are given. Some interesting features regarding the area of the negative part of the Wigner function have emerged.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2012

Asymptotic silence in loop quantum cosmology

The state of asymptotic silence, characterized by causal disconnection of the space points, emerges from various approaches aiming to describe gravitational phenomena in the limit of large curvatures. In particular, such behavior was anticipated by Belinsky, Khalatnikov and Lifshitz (BKL) in their famous conjecture put forward in the early seventies of the last century. While the BKL conjecture is based on purely classical considerations, one can expect that asymptotic silence should have its quantum counterpart at the level of a more fundamental theory of quantum gravity, which is the relevant description of gravitational phenomena in the limit of large energy densities. Here, we summarize some recent results which give support to such a possibility. More precisely, we discuss occurrence of the asymptotic silence due to polymerization of space at the Planck scale, in the framework of loop quantum cosmology. In the discussed model, the state of asymptotic silence is realized at the energy density $ρ= ρ_c/2$, where $ρ_c$ is the maximal allowed energy density, being of the order of the Planck energy density. At energy densities $ρ> ρ_c/2$, the universe becomes 4D Euclidean space without causal structure. Therefore, the asymptotic silence appears to be an intermediate state of space between the Lorentzian and Euclidean phases.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2012

Gaussian state for the bouncing quantum cosmology

We present results concerning propagation of the Gaussian state across the cosmological quantum bounce. The reduced phase space quantization of loop quantum cosmology is applied to the Friedman-Robertson-Walker universe with a free massless scalar field. Evolution of quantum moments of the canonical variables is investigated. The covariance turns out to be a monotonic function so it may be used as an evolution parameter having quantum origin. We show that for the Gaussian state the Universe is least quantum at the bounce. We propose explanation of this counter-intuitive feature using the entropy of squeezing. The obtained time dependence of entropy is in agreement with qualitative predictions based on von Neumann entropy for mixed states. We show that, for the considered Gaussian state, semiclassicality is preserved across the bounce, so there is no cosmic forgetfulness.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2012

Signature change in loop quantum cosmology

The Wick rotation is commonly considered only as an useful computational trick. However, as it was suggested by Hartle and Hawking already in early eighties, Wick rotation may gain physical meaning at the Planck epoch. While such possibility is conceptually interesting, leading to no-boundary proposal, mechanism behind the signature change remains mysterious. We show that the signature change anticipated by Hartle and Hawking naturally appear in loop quantum cosmology. Theory of cosmological perturbations with the effects of quantum holonomies is discussed. It was shown by Cailleteau \textit{et al.} (Class. Quant. Grav. {\bf 29} (2012) 095010) that this theory can be uniquely formulated in the anomaly-free manner. The obtained algebra of effective constraints turns out to be modified such that the metric signature is changing from Lorentzian in low curvature regime to Euclidean in high curvature regime. Implications of this phenomenon on propagation of cosmological perturbations are discussed and corrections to inflationary power spectra of scalar and tensor perturbations are derived. Possible relations with other approaches to quantum gravity are outlined. We also propose an intuitive explanation of the observed signature change using analogy with spontaneous symmetry breaking in "wired" metamaterials.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2012

Anomaly-free vector perturbations with holonomy corrections in loop quantum cosmology

We investigate vector perturbations with holonomy corrections in the framework of loop quantum cosmology. Conditions to achieve anomaly freedom for these perturbations are found at all orders. This requires the introduction of counter-terms in the hamiltonian constraint. We also show that anomaly freedom requires the diffeomorphism constraint to hold its classical form when scalar matter is added although the issue of a vector matter source, required for full consistency, remains to be investigated. The gauge-invariant variable and the corresponding equation of motion are derived. The propagation of vector modes through the bounce is finally discussed.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2012

Evolution in bouncing quantum cosmology

We present the method of describing an evolution in quantum cosmology in the framework of the reduced phase space quantization of loop cosmology. We apply our method to the flat Friedman-Robertson-Walker model coupled to a massless scalar field. We identify the physical quantum Hamiltonian that is positive-definite and generates globally an unitary evolution of considered quantum system. We examine properties of expectation values of physical observables in the process of the quantum big bounce transition. The dispersion of evolved observables are studied for the Gaussian state. Calculated relative fluctuations enable an examination of the semi-classicality conditions and possible occurrence of the cosmic forgetfulness. Preliminary estimations based on the cosmological data suggest that there was no cosmic amnesia. Presented results are analytical, and numerical computations are only used for the visualization purposes. Our method may be generalized to sophisticated cosmological models including the Bianchi type universes.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2011

Anomaly-free scalar perturbations with holonomy corrections in loop quantum cosmology

Holonomy corrections to scalar perturbations are investigated in the loop quantum cosmology framework. Due to the effective approach, modifications of the algebra of constraints generically lead to anomalies. In order to remove those anomalies, counter-terms are introduced. We find a way to explicitly fulfill the conditions for anomaly freedom and we give explicit expressions for the counter-terms. Surprisingly, the "new quantization scheme" naturally arises in this procedure. The gauge invariant variables are found and equations of motion for the anomaly-free scalar perturbations are derived. Finally, some cosmological consequences are discussed qualitatively.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2011

Quantum of volume in de Sitter space

We apply the nonstandard loop quantum cosmology method to quantize a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmological model with a free scalar field and the cosmological constant $Λ>0$. Modification of the Hamiltonian in terms of loop geometry parametrized by a length $λ$ introduces a scale dependence of the model. The spectrum of the volume operator is discrete and depends on $Λ$. Relating quantum of the volume with an elementary lattice cell leads to an explicit dependence of $Λ$ on $λ$. Based on this assumption, we investigate the possibility of interpreting $Λ$ as a running constant.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2011

Reheating temperature from the CMB

In the recent paper by Mielczarek \emph{et al.} (JCAP {\bf 1007} (2010) 004) an idea of the method which can be used to put some constraint for the reheating phase was proposed. Another method of constraining the reheating temperature has been recently studied by Martin and Ringeval (Phys.\ Rev.\ D {\bf 82} (2010) 023511). Both methods are based on observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. In this paper, we develop the idea introduced in this first article to put constraint on the reheating after the slow-roll inflation. We restrict our considerations to the case of a massive inflaton field. The method can be, however, easily extended to the different inflationary scenarios. As a main result, we derive an expression on the reheating temperature $T_{\text{RH}}$. Surprisingly, the obtained equation is independent on the unknown number of relativistic degrees of freedom $g_*$ produced during the reheating. Based on this equation and the WMAP 7 observations, we find $T_{\text{RH}}=3.5\cdot 10^6$ GeV, which is consistent with the current constraints. The relative uncertainty of the result is, however, very high and equal to $σ(T_{\text{RH}})/T_{\text{RH}} \approx 53$. As we show, this uncertainty will be significantly reduced with future CMB experiments.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

Bayesian reasoning in cosmology

We discuss epistemological and methodological aspects of the Bayesian approach in astrophysics and cosmology. The introduction to the Bayesian framework is given for a further discussion concerning the Bayesian inference in physics. The interplay between the modern cosmology, Bayesian statistics, and philosophy of science is presented. We consider paradoxes of confirmation, like Goodman's paradox, appearing in the Bayesian theory of confirmation. As in Goodman's paradox the Bayesian inference is susceptible to some epistemic limitations in the logic of induction. However Goodman's paradox applied to cosmological hypotheses seems to be resolved due to the evolutionary character of cosmology and accumulation new empirical evidences. We argue that the Bayesian framework is useful in the context of falsificability of quantum cosmological models, as well as contemporary dark energy and dark matter problem.

physics.data-an↗