Observational constraints on loop quantum cosmology

In the inflationary scenario of loop quantum cosmology in the presence of inverse-volume corrections, we give analytic formulas for the power spectra of scalar and tensor perturbations convenient to compare with observations. Since inverse-volume corrections can provide strong contributions to the running spectral indices, inclusion of terms higher than the second-order runnings in the power spectra is crucially important. Using the recent data of cosmic microwave background and other cosmological experiments, we place bounds on the quantum corrections.     

Observational constraints on extended Chaplygin gas cosmologies

We investigate cosmological models with extended Chaplygin gas (ECG) as a candidate for dark energy and determine the equation of state parameters using observed data namely, observed Hubble data, baryon acoustic oscillation data and cosmic microwave background shift data. Cosmological models are investigated considering cosmic fluid which is an extension of Chaplygin gas, however, it reduces to modified Chaplygin gas (MCG) and also to generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG) in special cases. It is found that in the case of MCG and GCG, the best-fit values of all the parameters are positive. The distance modulus agrees quite well with the experimental Union2 data. The speed of sound obtained in the model is small, necessary for structure formation. We also determine the observational constraints on the constants of the ECG equation.     

Observational effects from quantum cosmology

The status of quantum cosmologies as testable models of the early universe is assessed in the context of inflation. While traditional Wheeler–DeWitt quantization is unable to produce sizable effects in the cosmic microwave background, the more recent loop quantum cosmology can generate potentially detectable departures from the standard cosmic spectrum. Thus, present observations constrain the parameter space of the model, which could be made falsifiable by near‐future experiments.     

Non-minimal kinetic coupling and Chaplygin gas cosmology

In the frame of the scalar field model with non-minimal kinetic coupling to gravity, we study the cosmological solutions of the Chaplygin gas model of dark energy. By appropriately restricting the potential, we found the scalar field, the potential and coupling giving rise to the Chaplygin gas solution. Extensions to the generalized and modified Chaplygin gas have been made.     

Observational constraint on generalized Chaplygin gas model

We investigate observational constraints on the generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG) model as the unification of dark matter and dark energy from the latest observational data: the Union SNe Ia data, the observational Hubble data, the SDSS baryon acoustic peak and the five-year WMAP shift parameter. The result is obtained that the best-fit values of the GCG model parameters with their confidence level are A _s=0.73_−0.06^+0.06 (1σ) _−0.09^+0.09 (2σ), α=−0.09_−0.12^+0.15 (1σ) _−0.19^+0.26 (2σ). Furthermore, in this model, we can see that the evolution of equation of state (EOS) for dark energy is similar to quiessence, and its current best-fit value is w _0de=−0.96 with the 1σ confidence level −0.91≥w _0de≥−1.00.     

Dynamics of k-essence in loop quantum cosmology

In this paper,we study the dynamics of k-essence in loop quantum cosmology(LQC).The study indicates that the loop quantum gravity(LQG)effect plays a key role only in the early epoch of the universe and is diluted in the later stages.The fixed points in LQC are basically consistent with those in standard Friedmann-Robertson-Walker(FRW)cosmology.For most of the attractor solutions,the stability conditions in L Q C are in agreement with those for the standard FRW universe.For some special fixed points,however,tighter constraints are imposed thanks to the LQG effect.     

Probability of inflation in loop quantum cosmology

Inflationary models of the early universe provide a natural mechanism for the formation of large scale structure. This success brings to forefront the question of naturalness: Does a sufficiently long slow roll inflation occur generically or does it require a careful fine tuning of initial parameters? In recent years there has been considerable controversy on this issue (Hollands and Wald in Gen Relativ Gravit, 34:2043, 2002; Kofman et al. in J High Energy Phys 10:057, 2002); (Gibbons and Turok in Phys Rev D 77:063516, 2008). In particular, for a quadratic potential, Kofman et al. (J High Energy Phys 10:057, 2002) have argued that the probability of inflation with at least 65 e-foldings is close to one, while Gibbons and Turok (Phys Rev D 77:063516, 2008) have argued that this probability is suppressed by a factor of ~10⁻⁸⁵. We first clarify that such dramatically different predictions can arise because the required measure on the space of solutions is intrinsically ambiguous in general relativity. We then show that this ambiguity can be naturally resolved in loop quantum cosmology (LQC) because the big bang is replaced by a big bounce and the bounce surface can be used to introduce the structure necessary to specify a satisfactory measure. The second goal of the paper is to present a detailed analysis of the inflationary dynamics of LQC using analytical and numerical methods. By combining this information with the measure on the space of solutions, we address a sharper question than those investigated in Kofman et al. (J High Energy Phys 10:057, 2002), Gibbons and Turok (Phys Rev D 77:063516, 2008), Ashtekar and Sloan (Phys Lett B 694:108, 2010): What is the probability of a sufficiently long slow roll inflation which is compatible with the seven year WMAP data? We show that the probability is very close to 1. The material is so organized that cosmologists who may be more interested in the inflationary dynamics in LQC than in the subtleties associated with measures can skip that material without loss of continuity.     

Absence of a 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 demonstration 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.     

Genericness of inflation in isotropic loop quantum cosmology

Nonperturbative corrections from loop quantum cosmology (LQC) to the scalar matter sector are already known to imply inflation. We prove that the LQC modified scalar field generates exponential inflation in the small scale factor regime, for all positive definite potentials, independent of initial conditions and independent of ambiguity parameters. For positive semidefinite potentials it is always possible to choose, without fine-tuning, a value of one of the ambiguity parameters such that exponential inflation results, provided zeros of the potential are approached at most as a power law in the scale factor. In conjunction with the generic occurrence of bounce at small volumes, particle horizon is absent, thus eliminating the horizon problem of the standard big bang model.     

Warm modified Chaplygin gas shaft inflation

In this paper, we examine the possible realization of a new inflation family called “shaft inflation” by assuming the modified Chaplygin gas model and a tachyon scalar field. We also consider the special form of the dissipative coefficient \(\Gamma ={a_0}\frac{T^{3}}{\phi ^{2 }}\) and calculate the various inflationary parameters in the scenario of strong and weak dissipative regimes. In order to examine the behavior of inflationary parameters, the \(n_s \)–\( \phi ,\, n_s \)–r, and \(n_s \)–\( \alpha _s\) planes (where \(n_s,\, \alpha _s,\, r\), and \(\phi \) represent the spectral index, its running, tensor-to-scalar ratio, and scalar field, respectively) are being developed, which lead to the constraints \(r< 0.11\), \(n_s=0.96 \pm 0.025\), and \(\alpha _s =-0.019 \pm 0.025\). It is quite interesting that these results of the inflationary parameters are compatible with BICEP2, WMAP \((7+9)\) and recent Planck data.     

Alternative quantization of the Hamiltonian in loop quantum cosmology

Since there are quantization ambiguities in constructing the Hamiltonian constraint operator in isotropic loop quantum cosmology, it is crucial to check whether the key features of loop quantum cosmology are robust against the ambiguities. In this Letter, we quantize the Lorentz term of the gravitational Hamiltonian constraint in the spatially flat FRW model by two approaches different from that of the Euclidean term. One of the approaches is very similar to the treatment of the Lorentz part of Hamiltonian in loop quantum gravity and hence inherits more features from the full theory. Two symmetric Hamiltonian constraint operators are constructed respectively in the improved scheme. Both of them are shown to have the correct classical limit by the semiclassical analysis. In the loop quantum cosmological model with a massless scalar field, the effective Hamiltonians and Friedmann equations are derived. It turns out that the classical big bang is again replaced by a quantum bounce in both cases. Moreover, there are still great possibilities for the expanding universe to recollapse due to the quantum gravity effect.     

Path integral and effective Hamiltonian in loop quantum cosmology

We study the path integral formulation of Friedmann universe filled with a massless scalar field in loop quantum cosmology. All the isotropic models of $k=0,+1,-1$ are considered. To construct the path integrals in the timeless framework, a multiple group-averaging approach is proposed. Meanwhile, since the transition amplitude in the deparameterized framework can be expressed in terms of group-averaging, the path integrals can be formulated for both deparameterized and timeless frameworks. Their relation is clarified. It turns out that the effective Hamiltonian derived from the path integral in deparameterized framework is equivalent to the effective Hamiltonian constraint derived from the path integral in timeless framework, since they lead to same equations of motion. Moreover, the effective Hamiltonian constraints of above models derived in canonical theory are confirmed by the path integral formulation.     

A modified Chaplygin gas model with interaction

A modified Chaplygin gas (MCG) model of unifying dark energy and dark matter is considered in this paper, in which dark energy interacts with dark matter. Concretely, the evolution of such a unified dark sectors model is studied and the statefinder diagnostic to the MCG model is performed in our model. By analysis, it is shown that the effective equation of state (EoS) parameter of dark energy can cross the so-called phantom divide ω = −1, the behavior of MCG will be like ΛCDM in the future and therefore our Universe will not end up with Big Rip in the future. Furthermore, we plot the evolution trajectories of the MCG model in the statefinder parameter r–s plane and illustrate the discrimination between this scenario and the generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG) model.     

Wormholes supported by phantom-like modified Chaplygin gas

We have examined the possible construction of a stationary, spherically symmetric and spatially inhomogeneous wormhole spacetime supported by the phantom energy. The latter is supposed to be represented by the modified Chaplygin gas equation of state. The solutions so obtained satisfy the flare-out and the asymptotic-flatness conditions. It is also shown that the averaged null-energy condition has to be violated for the existence of the wormhole.     

Recent observational constraints on generalized Chaplygin gas in UDME scenario

Recent observational predictions suggest that our Universe is passing through an accelerating phase in the recent past. This acceleration may be realized with the negatively pressured dark energy. Generalized Chaplygin gas may be suitable to describe the evolution of the Universe as a candidate of unified dark matter energy (UDME) model. Its EoS parameters are constrained using (i) dimensionless age parameter (H ₀ t ₀) and (ii) the observed Hubble (H(z)?z) data (OHD) + baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data + cosmic microwave background (CMB) shift data + supernovae (Union2.1) data. Dimensionless age parameter puts loose bounds on the EoS parameters. Best-fit values of the EoS parameters H ₀, A _s and α (A _s and α are defined in the energy density for generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG) and in EoS) are then determined from OHD + BAO + CMB + Union2.1 data and contours are drawn to obtain their allowed range of values. The present age of the Universe (t ₀) and the present Hubble parameter (H ₀) have been estimated with 1σ confidence level. Best-fit values of deceleration parameter (q), squared sound speed (\(c_{\mathrm {s}}^{2}\)) and EoS parameter (ω) of this model are then determined. It is seen that GCG satisfactorily accommodates an accelerating phase and structure formation phase.     

Absence of preclassical solutions in Bianchi I loop quantum cosmology

Loop quantum cosmology, the symmetry reduction of quantum geometry for the study of various cosmological situations, leads to a difference equation for its quantum evolution equation. To ensure that solutions of this equation act in the expected classical manner far from singularities, additional restrictions are imposed on the solution. In this Letter, we consider the Bianchi I model, both the vacuum case and the addition of a cosmological constant, and show using generating function techniques that only the zero solution satisfies these constraints. This implies either that there are technical difficulties with the current method of quantizing the evolution equation, or else loop quantum gravity imposes strong restrictions on the physically allowed solutions.