arXiv subjects

Martin Bojowald

Publications and source records attributed to Martin Bojowald.

216 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

arXiv2002

Measuring spacetime: from big bang to black holes

Nerd abstract: Observational constraints on spacetime are reviewed, focusing on how the underlying physics (dark matter, dark energy, gravity) can be tested rather than assumed. Popular abstract: Space is not a boring static stage on which events unfold over time, but a dynamic entity with curvature, fluctuations and a rich life of its own which is a booming area of study. Spectacular new measurements of the cosmic microwave background, gravitational lensing, type Ia supernovae, large-scale structure, spectra of the Lyman alpha forest, stellar dynamics and x-ray binaries are probing the properties of spacetime over 22 orders of magnitude in scale. Current measurements are consistent with an infinite flat everlasting Universe containing about 30% cold dark matter, 65% dark energy and at least two distinct populations of black holes.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Isotropic Loop Quantum Cosmology with Matter

A free massless scalar field is coupled to homogeneous and isotropic loop quantum cosmology. The coupled model is investigated in the vicinity of the classical singularity, where discreteness is essential and where the quantum model is non-singular, as well as in the regime of large volumes, where it displays the expected semiclassical features. The particular matter content (massless, free scalar) is chosen to illustrate how the discrete structure regulates pathological behavior caused by kinetic terms of matter Hamiltonians (which in standard quantum cosmology lead to wave functions with an infinite number of oscillations near the classical singularity). Due to this modification of the small volume behavior the dynamical initial conditions of loop quantum cosmology are seen to provide a meaningful generalization of DeWitt's initial condition.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2002

Quantization Ambiguities in Isotropic Quantum Geometry

Some typical quantization ambiguities of quantum geometry are studied within isotropic models. Since this allows explicit computations of operators and their spectra, one can investigate the effects of ambiguities in a quantitative manner. It is shown that those ambiguities do not affect the fate of the classical singularity, demonstrating that the absence of a singularity in loop quantum cosmology is a robust implication of the general quantization scheme. The calculations also allow conclusions about modified operators in the full theory. In particular, using holonomies in a non-fundamental representation of SU(2) to quantize connection components turns out to lead to significant corrections to classical behavior at macroscopic volume for large values of the spin of the chosen representation.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2002

Inflation from Quantum Geometry

Quantum geometry predicts that a universe evolves through an inflationary phase at small volume before exiting gracefully into a standard Friedmann phase. This does not require the introduction of additional matter fields with ad hoc potentials; rather, it occurs because of a quantum gravity modification of the kinetic part of ordinary matter Hamiltonians. An application of the same mechanism can explain why the present-day cosmological acceleration is so tiny.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2002

Isotropic Loop Quantum Cosmology

Isotropic models in loop quantum cosmology allow explicit calculations, thanks largely to a completely known volume spectrum, which is exploited in order to write down the evolution equation in a discrete internal time. Because of genuinely quantum geometrical effects the classical singularity is absent in those models in the sense that the evolution does not break down there, contrary to the classical situation where space-time is inextendible. This effect is generic and does not depend on matter violating energy conditions, but it does depend on the factor ordering of the Hamiltonian constraint. Furthermore, it is shown that loop quantum cosmology reproduces standard quantum cosmology and hence (e.g., via WKB approximation) to classical behavior in the large volume regime where the discreteness of space is insignificant. Finally, an explicit solution to the Euclidean vacuum constraint is discussed which is the unique solution with semiclassical behavior representing quantum Euclidean space.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2002

Poisson Geometry in Constrained Systems

Constrained Hamiltonian systems fall into the realm of presymplectic geometry. We show, however, that also Poisson geometry is of use in this context. For the case that the constraints form a closed algebra, there are two natural Poisson manifolds associated to the system, forming a symplectic dual pair with respect to the original, unconstrained phase space. We provide sufficient conditions so that the reduced phase space of the constrained system may be identified with a symplectic leaf in one of those. In the second class case the original constrained system may be reformulated equivalently as an abelian first class system in an extended phase space by these methods. Inspired by the relation of the Dirac bracket of a general second class constrained system to the original unconstrained phase space, we address the question of whether a regular Poisson manifold permits a leafwise symplectic embedding into a symplectic manifold. Necessary and sufficient for this is the vanishing of the characteristic form-class of the Poisson tensor, a certain element of the third relative cohomology.

hep-th↗

arXiv2001

The Semiclassical Limit of Loop Quantum Cosmology

The continuum and semiclassical limits of isotropic, spatially flat loop quantum cosmology are discussed, with an emphasis on the role played by the Barbero-Immirzi parameter γin controlling space-time discreteness. In this way, standard quantum cosmology is shown to be the simultaneous limit γ\to 0, j \to \infty of loop quantum cosmology. Here, j is a label of the volume eigenvalues, and the simultaneous limit is technically the same as the classical limit \hbar \to 0, l \to \infty of angular momentum in quantum mechanics. Possible lessons for semiclassical states at the dynamical level in the full theory of quantum geometry are mentioned.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2001

The Inverse Scale Factor in Isotropic Quantum Geometry

The inverse scale factor, which in classical cosmological models diverges at the singularity, is quantized in isotropic models of loop quantum cosmology by using techniques which have been developed in quantum geometry for a quantization of general relativity. This procedure results in a bounded operator which is diagonalizable simultaneously with the volume operator and whose eigenvalues are determined explicitly. For large scale factors (in fact, up to a scale factor slightly above the Planck length) the eigenvalues are close to the classical expectation, whereas below the Planck length there are large deviations leading to a non-diverging behavior of the inverse scale factor even though the scale factor has vanishing eigenvalues. This is a first indication that the classical singularity is better behaved in loop quantum cosmology.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2001

Dynamical Initial Conditions in Quantum Cosmology

Loop quantum cosmology is shown to provide both the dynamical law and initial conditions for the wave function of a universe by one discrete evolution equation. Accompanied by the condition that semiclassical behavior is obtained at large volume, a unique wave function is predicted.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2001

Absence of Singularity in Loop Quantum Cosmology

It is shown that the cosmological singularity in isotropic minisuperspaces is naturally removed by quantum geometry. Already at the kinematical level, this is indicated by the fact that the inverse scale factor is represented by a bounded operator even though the classical quantity diverges at the initial singularity. The full demonstation comes from an analysis of quantum dynamics. Because of quantum geometry, the quantum evolution occurs in discrete time steps and does not break down when the volume becomes zero. Instead, space-time can be extended to a branch preceding the classical singularity independently of the matter coupled to the model. For large volume the correct semiclassical behavior is obtained.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2000

Angular Momentum in Loop Quantum Gravity

An angular momentum operator in loop quantum gravity is defined using spherically symmetric states as a non-rotating reference system. It can be diagonalized simultaneously with the area operator and has the familiar spectrum. The operator indicates how the quantum geometry of non-rotating isolated horizons can be generalized to rotating ones and how the recent computations of black hole entropy can be extended to rotating black holes.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2000

Loop Quantum Cosmology III: Wheeler-DeWitt Operators

In the framework of loop quantum cosmology anomaly free quantizations of the Hamiltonian constraint for Bianchi class A, locally rotationally symmetric and isotropic models are given. Basic ideas of the construction in (non-symmetric) loop quantum gravity can be used, but there are also further inputs because the special structure of symmetric models has to be respected by operators. In particular, the basic building blocks of the homogeneous models are point holonomies rather than holonomies necessitating a new regularization procedure. In this respect, our construction is applicable also for other (non-homogeneous) symmetric models, e.g. the spherically symmetric one.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2000

Loop Quantum Cosmology IV: Discrete Time Evolution

Using general features of recent quantizations of the Hamiltonian constraint in loop quantum gravity and loop quantum cosmology, a dynamical interpretation of the constraint equation as evolution equation is presented. This involves a transformation from the connection to a dreibein representation and the selection of an internal time variable. Due to the discrete nature of geometrical quantities in loop quantum gravity also time turns out to be discrete leading to a difference rather than differential evolution equation. Furthermore, evolving observables are discussed in this framework which enables an investigation of physical spectra of geometrical quantities. In particular, the physical volume spectrum is proven to equal the discrete kinematical volume spectrum in loop quantum cosmology.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2000

Abelian BF-Theory and Spherically Symmetric Electromagnetism

Three different methods to quantize the spherically symmetric sector of electromagnetism are presented: First, it is shown that this sector is equivalent to Abelian BF-theory in four spacetime dimensions with suitable boundary conditions. This theory, in turn, is quantized by both a reduced phase space quantization and a spin network quantization. Finally, the outcome is compared with the results obtained in the recently proposed general quantum symmetry reduction scheme. In the magnetically uncharged sector, where all three approaches apply, they all lead to the same quantum theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv2000

Symplectic Cuts and Projection Quantization

The recently proposed projection quantization, which is a method to quantize particular subspaces of systems with known quantum theory, is shown to yield a genuine quantization in several cases. This may be inferred from exact results established within symplectic cutting.

quant-ph↗

arXiv1999

Group Theoretical Quantization and the Example of a Phase Space S^1 x R^+

The group theoretical quantization scheme is reconsidered by means of elementary systems. Already the quantization of a particle on a circle shows that the standard procedure has to be supplemented by an additional condition on the admissibility of group actions. A systematic strategy for finding admissible group actions for particular subbundles of cotangent spaces is developed, two-dimensional prototypes of which are T^*R^+ and S^1 x R^+ (interpreted as restrictions of T^*R and T^*S^1 to positive coordinate and momentum, respectively). In this framework (and under an additional, natural condition) an SO_+(1,2)-action on S^1 x R^+ results as the unique admissible group action. For symplectic manifolds which are (specific) parts of phase spaces with known quantum theory a simple projection method of quantization is formulated. For T^*R^+ and S^1 x R^+ equivalent results to those of more established (but more involved) quantization schemes are obtained. The approach may be of interest, e.g., in attempts to quantize gravity theories where demanding nondegenerate metrics of a fixed signature imposes similar constraints.

quant-ph↗

arXiv1999

Loop Quantum Cosmology I: Kinematics

The framework of quantum symmetry reduction is applied to loop quantum gravity with respect to transitively acting symmetry groups. This allows to test loop quantum gravity in a large class of minisuperspaces and to investigate its features - e.g. the discrete volume spectrum - in certain cosmological regimes. Contrary to previous studies of quantum cosmology (minisuperspace quantizations) the symmetry reduction is carried out not at the classical level but on an auxiliary Hilbert space of the quantum theory before solving the constraints. Therefore, kinematical properties like volume quantization survive the symmetry reduction. In this first part the kinematical framework, i.e. implementation of the quantum symmetry reduction and quantization of Gauss and diffeomorphism constraints, is presented for Bianchi class A models as well as locally rotationally symmetric and spatially isotropic closed and flat models.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1999

Loop Quantum Cosmology II: Volume Operators

Volume operators measuring the total volume of space in a loop quantum theory of cosmological models are constructed. In the case of models with rotational symmetry an investigation of the Higgs constraint imposed on the reduced connection variables is necessary, a complete solution of which is given for isotropic models; in this case the volume spectrum can be calculated explicitly. It is observed that the stronger the symmetry conditions are the smaller is the volume spectrum, which can be interpreted as level splitting due to broken symmetries. Some implications for quantum cosmology are presented.

gr-qc↗