The cosmological constant is probably zero,and a proof is possibly right

Hawking proposed that the cosmological constant is probably zero in quantum cosmology. Duff claimed that Hawking's proof is invalidated. Using the right configuration for the wave function of the universe, we provide a complete proof.     

Entropy of the FRW cosmology based on the brick wall method

The brick wall method in calculations of the entropy of black holes can be applied to the FRW cosmology in order to study the statistical entropy. An appropriate cutoff satisfying the covariant entropy bound can be chosen so that the entropy has a definite bound. Among the entropy for each of cosmological eras, the vacuum energy-dominated era turns out to give the maximal entropy which is in fact compatible with assumptions from the brick wall method.     

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.     

Space–time dimensionality from brane collisions

Collisions and subsequent decays of higher dimensional branes leave behind three-dimensional branes and anti-branes, one of which could play the rôle of our universe. This process also leads to the production of one-dimensional branes and anti-branes, however their number is expected to be suppressed. Brane collisions may also lead to the formation of bound states of branes. Their existence does not alter this result, it just allows for the existence of one-dimensional branes captured within the three-dimensional ones.     

An Inflationary Solution of Scalar Field in Finsler Universe

Using the energy-dependent rainbow metric, we investigate the rainbow universe metric as a Finsler metric, and obtain an inflationary solution of the universe. The theoretical results are in agreement with the astronomical observations.     

The area quantum and Snyder space

We show that in the Snyder space the area of the disc and of the sphere can be quantized. It is also shown that the area spectrum of the sphere can be related to the Bekenstein conjecture for the area spectrum of a black hole horizon.     

Accelerating universe in two-dimensional noncommutative dilaton cosmology

We show that the phase transition from the decelerating universe to the accelerating universe, which is of relevance to the cosmological coincidence problem, is possible in the semiclassically quantized two-dimensional dilaton gravity by taking into account the noncommutative field variables during the finite time. Initially, the quantum-mechanically induced energy from the noncommutativity among the fields makes the early universe decelerate and subsequently the universe is accelerating because the dilaton driven cosmology becomes dominant later.     

Renormalization in theories with modified dispersion relations: Weak gravitational fields

We consider a free quantum scalar field satisfying modified dispersion relations in curved spacetimes, within the framework of Einstein–Aether theory. Using a power counting analysis, we study the divergences in the adiabatic expansion of 〈?²〉$〈{?}^2〉$ and 〈T_μν〉$〈T_{\mu \nu }〉$, working in the weak field approximation. We show that for dispersion relations containing up to 2s powers of the spatial momentum, the subtraction necessary to renormalize these two quantities on general backgrounds depends on s   in a qualitatively different way: while 〈?²〉$〈{?}^2〉$ becomes convergent for a sufficiently large value of s  , the number of divergent terms in the adiabatic expansion of 〈T_μν〉$〈T_{\mu \nu }〉$ increases with s. This property was not apparent in previous results for spatially homogeneous backgrounds.     

Quantum mechanics of Klein-Gordon-type fields and quantum cosmology

With a view to address some of the basic problems of quantum cosmology, we formulate the quantum mechanics of the solutions of a Klein-Gordon-type field equation: (∂_t²+D)ψ(t)=0, where and D is a positive-definite operator acting in a Hilbert space . In particular, we determine all the positive-definite inner products on the space of the solutions of such an equation and establish their physical equivalence. This specifies the Hilbert space structure of uniquely. We use a simple realization of the latter to construct the observables of the theory explicitly. The field equation does not fix the choice of a Hamiltonian operator unless it is supplemented by an underlying classical system and a quantization scheme supported by a correspondence principle. In general, there are infinitely many choices for the Hamiltonian each leading to a different notion of time-evolution in . Among these is a particular choice that generates t-translations in and identifies t with time whenever D is t-independent. For a t-dependent D, we show that regardless of the choice of the inner product the t-translations do not correspond to unitary evolutions in , and t cannot be identified with time. We apply these ideas to develop a formulation of quantum cosmology based on the Wheeler-DeWitt equation for a Friedman-Robertson-Walker model coupled to a real scalar field with an arbitrary positive confining potential. In particular, we offer a complete solution of the Hilbert space problem, construct the observables, use a position-like observable to introduce the wave functions of the universe (which differ from the Wheeler-DeWitt fields), reformulate the corresponding quantum theory in terms of the latter, reduce the problem of the identification of time to the determination of a Hamiltonian operator acting in , show that the factor-ordering problem is irrelevant for the kinematics of the quantum theory, and propose a formulation of the dynamics. Our method is based on the central postulates of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics, especially the quest for a genuine probabilistic interpretation and a unitary Schrödinger time-evolution. It generalizes to arbitrary minisuperspace (spatially homogeneous) models and provides a way of unifying the two main approaches to the canonical quantum cosmology based on these models, namely quantization before and after imposing the Hamiltonian constraint.     

Wave function of the Universe in the early stage of its evolution

In quantum cosmological models, constructed in the framework of Friedmann–Robertson–Walker metrics, a nucleation of the Universe with its further expansion is described as a tunneling transition through an effective barrier between regions with small and large values of the scale factor a at non-zero (or zero) energy. The approach for describing this tunneling consists of constructing a wave function satisfying an appropriate boundary condition. There are various ways for defining the boundary condition that lead to different estimates of the barrier penetrability and the tunneling time. In order to describe the escape from the tunneling region as accurately as possible and to construct the total wave function on the basis of its two partial solutions unambiguously, we use the tunneling boundary condition that the total wave function must represent only the outgoing wave at the point of escape from the barrier, where the following definition for the wave is introduced: the wave is represented by the wave function whose modulus changes minimally under a variation of the scale factor a. We construct a new method for a direct non-semiclassical calculation of the total stationary wave function of the Universe, analyze the behavior of this wave function in the tunneling region, near the escape point and in the asymptotic region, and estimate the barrier penetrability. We observe oscillations of the modulus of the wave function in the external region starting from the turning point which decrease with increasing of a and which are not shown in semiclassical calculations. The period of such an oscillation decreases uniformly with increasing a and can be used as a fully quantum dynamical characteristic of the expansion of the Universe.     

The generalized uncertainty principle in (A)dS space and the modification of Hawking temperature from the minimal length

Recently, the Heisenberg's uncertainty principle has been extended to incorporate the existence of a large (cut-off) length scale in de Sitter or anti-de Sitter space, and the Hawking temperatures of the Schwarzshild–(anti) de Sitter black holes have been reproduced by using the extended uncertainty principle. I generalize the extended uncertainty to the case with an absolute minimum length and compute its modification to the Hawking temperature. I obtain a general trend that the generalized uncertainty principle due to the absolute minimum length “always” increases the Hawking temperature, implying “faster” decay, which is in conformity with the result in the asymptotically flat space. I also revisit the black hole-string phase transition, in the context of the generalized uncertainty principle.     

Cosmological implications of Károlyházy uncertainty relation

Károlyházy uncertainty relation, which can be viewed also as a relation between UV and IR scales in the framework of an effective quantum field theory satisfying a black hole entropy bound, strongly favors the existence of dark energy with its observed value. Here we estimate the dynamics of dark energy predicted by the Károlyházy relation during the cosmological evolution of the universe.     

Non-minimally coupled canonical,phantom and quintom models of holographic dark energy

We investigate canonical, phantom and quintom models, with the various fields being non-minimally coupled to gravity, in the framework of holographic dark energy. We classify them and we discuss their cosmological implications. In particular, we examine the present value of the dark energy equation-of-state parameter and the crossing through the phantom divide, and we extract the conditions for a future cosmological singularity. The combined scenarios are in agreement with observations and reveal interesting cosmological behaviors.     

Space-time curvature due to quantum vacuum fluctuations: An alternative to dark energy?

It is pointed out that quantum vacuum fluctuations may give rise to a curvature of space-time equivalent to the curvature currently attributed to dark energy. A simple calculation is made, involving plausible assumptions within the framework of quantized gravity, which suggests that the value of the dark energy density is roughly given by the product of Newton's constant times the quantity m⁶c⁴?−4, m being a typical mass of elementary particles. The estimate is compatible with observations.     

A Kind of Exact Inflationary Solution in the Chaotic Inflation Model to Non-minimally Coupled Scalar Field

We present a kind of exact inflationary solution in the chaotic inflation scenario to non-minimal coupled scalar field, taking the Hubble parameter directly as a function of the scalar field φ, H（φ） = αφ^n. Using the analysis of the WMAP3 data, we give the range of power index n.     

Renormalisability of the matter determinants in noncommutative gauge theory in the enveloping-algebra formalism

We consider noncommutative gauge theory defined by means of Seiberg–Witten maps for an arbitrary semisimple gauge group. We compute the one-loop UV divergent matter contributions to the gauge field effective action to all orders in the noncommutative parameters θ. We do this for Dirac fermions and complex scalars carrying arbitrary representations of the gauge group. We use path-integral methods in the framework of dimensional regularisation and consider arbitrary invertible Seiberg–Witten maps that are linear in the matter fields. Surprisingly, it turns out that the UV divergent parts of the matter contributions are proportional to the noncommutative Yang–Mills action where traces are taken over the representation of the matter fields; this result supports the need to include such traces in the classical action of the gauge sector of the noncommutative theory.     

The Mixmaster Universe in Five Dimensions

We consider a five dimensional vacuum cosmology with Bianchi type-IX spatial geometry and an extra non-compact coordinate. Finding a new class of solutions, we examine and rule out the possibility of deterministic chaos. We interpret this result within the context of induced matter theory.