G A Mena Marugán

Loop quantization of vacuum Bianchi I cosmology

We analyze the loop quantization of the family of vacuum Bianchi I spacetimes, a gravitational system of which classical solutions describe homogeneous anisotropic cosmologies. We rigorously construct the operator that represents the Hamiltonian constraint, showing that the states of zero volume completely decouple from the rest of quantum states. This fact ensures that the classical cosmological singularity is resolved in the quantum theory. In addition, this allows us to adopt an equivalent quantum description in terms of a well-defined densitized Hamiltonian constraint. This latter constraint can be regarded in a certain sense as a difference evolution equation in an internal time provided by one of the triad components, which is polymerically quantized. Generically, this evolution equation is a relation between the projection of the quantum states in three different sections of constant internal time. Nevertheless, around the initial singularity the equation involves only the two closest sections with the same orientation of the triad. This has a double effect: on the one hand, physical states are determined just by the data on one section, on the other hand, the evolution defined in this way never crosses the singularity, without the need of any special boundary condition. Finally, we determine the inner product and the physical Hilbert space employing group averaging techniques, and we specify a complete algebra of Dirac observables. This completes the quantization program.

Inhomogeneous loop quantum cosmology: Hybrid quantization of the Gowdy model

The Gowdy cosmologies provide a suitable arena to further develop loop quantum cosmology, allowing the presence of inhomogeneities. For the particular case of Gowdy spacetimes with the spatial topology of a three-torus and a content of linearly polarized gravitational waves, we detail a hybrid quantum theory in which we combine a loop quantization of the degrees of freedom that parametrize the subfamily of homogeneous solutions, which represent Bianchi I spacetimes, and a Fock quantization of the inhomogeneities. Two different theories are constructed and compared, corresponding to two different schemes for the quantization of the Bianchi I model within the improved dynamics formalism of loop quantum cosmology. One of these schemes has been recently put forward by Ashtekar and Wilson-Ewing. We address several issues, including the quantum resolution of the cosmological singularity, the structure of the superselection sectors in the quantum system, or the construction of the Hilbert space of physical states.

Further improvements in the understanding of isotropic loop quantum cosmology

Supported by the Spanish MICINN Project FIS2008-06078-C03-03 and the ConsoliderIngenio 2010 Program CPAN (CSD2007-00042). Financial aid by the I3P Program of CSIC and the European Social Fund under the grant I3PBPD2006. financial support under CSIC the grant JAEPre_08_00791.

HYBRID QUANTUM COSMOLOGY: COMBINING LOOP AND FOCK QUANTIZATIONS

As a necessary step towards the extraction of realistic results from Loop Quantum Cosmology, we analyze the physical consequences of including inhomogeneities. We consider in detail the quantization of a gravitational model in vacuo which possesses local degrees of freedom, namely, the linearly polarized Gowdy cosmologies with the spatial topology of a three-torus. We carry out a hybrid quantization which combines loop and Fock techniques. We discuss the main aspects and results of this hybrid quantization, which include the resolution of the cosmological singularity, the polymeric quantization of the internal time, a rigorous definition of the quantum constraints and the construction of their solutions, the Hilbert structure of the physical states, and the recovery of a conventional Fock quantization for the inhomogeneities.

Loop Quantum Cosmology: A cosmological theory with a view.

Loop Quantum Gravity is a background independent, nonperturbative approach to the quantization of General Relativity. Its application to models of interest in cosmology and astrophysics, known as Loop Quantum Cosmology, has led to new and exciting views of the gravitational phenomena that took place in the early universe, or that occur in spacetime regions where Einsteins theory predicts singularities. We provide a brief introduction to the bases of Loop Quantum Cosmology and summarize the most important results obtained in homogeneous scenarios. These results include a mechanism to avoid the cosmological Big Bang singularity and replace it with a Big Bounce, as well as the existence of processes which favor inflation. We also discuss the extension of the frame of Loop Quantum Cosmology to inhomogeneous settings.

Loop quantum cosmology of the Bianchi I model: complete quantization

We complete the canonical quantization of the vacuum Bianchi I model within the improved dynamics scheme of loop quantum cosmology, characterizing the Hilbert structure of the physical states and providing a complete set of observables acting on them. In order to achieve this task, it has been essential to determine the structure of the separable superselection sectors that arise owing to the polymeric quantization, and to prove that the initial value problem obtained when regarding the Hamiltonian constraint as an evolution equation, interpreting the volume as the evolution parameter, is well-posed.

Modeling effective FRW cosmologies with perfect fluids from states of the hybrid quantum Gowdy model

We employ recently developed approximation methods in the hybrid quantization of the Gowdy

High-order gauge-invariant perturbations of a spherical spacetime

T^3

Multidimensional gravity and no-boundary condition

model with linear polarization and a massless scalar field to obtain physically interesting solutions of this inhomogeneous cosmology. More specifically, we propose approximate solutions of the quantum Gowdy model constructed in such a way that, for the Hamiltonian constraint, they effectively behave as those corresponding to a flat homogeneous and isotropic universe filled with a perfect fluid, even though these quantum states are far from being homogeneous and isotropic. We analyze how one can get different perfect fluid effective behaviors, including the cases of dust, radiation, and cosmological constant.

Loop Quantum Cosmological Perturbations

We construct a covariant and gauge-invariant framework to deal with arbitrary high-order perturbations of a spherical spacetime. It can be regarded as the generalization to high orders of the Gerlach and Sengupta formalism for first-order nonspherical perturbations. The Regge-Wheeler-Zerilli harmonics are generalized to an arbitrary number of indices and a closed formula is deduced for their products. An iterative procedure is given in order to construct gauge-invariant quantities up to any perturbative order. Focusing on second-order perturbation theory, we explicitly compute the sources for the gauge invariants as well as for the evolution equations.