Golam Mortuza Hossain

Anomaly freedom in perturbative loop quantum gravity

A fully consistent linear perturbation theory for cosmology is derived in the presence of quantum corrections as they are suggested by properties of inverse volume operators in loop quantum gravity. The underlying constraints present a consistent deformation of the classical system, which shows that the discreteness in loop quantum gravity can be implemented in effective equations without spoiling space-time covariance. Nevertheless, nontrivial quantum corrections do arise in the constraint algebra. Since correction terms must appear in tightly controlled forms to avoid anomalies, detailed insights for the correct implementation of constraint operators can be gained. The procedures of this article thus provide a clear link between fundamental quantum gravity and phenomenology.

Loop quantum gravity corrections to gravitational wave dispersion

Cosmological tensor perturbations equations are derived for Hamiltonian cosmology based on Ashtekars formulation of general relativity, including typical quantum gravity effects in the Hamiltonian constraint as they are expected from loop quantum gravity. This translates to corrections of the dispersion relation for gravitational waves. The main application here is the preservation of causality which is shown to be realized due to the absence of anomalies in the effective constraint algebra used.

Gauge invariant cosmological perturbation equations with corrections from loop quantum gravity

A consistent implementation of quantum gravity is expected to change the familiar notions of space, time, and the propagation of matter in drastic ways. This will have consequences on very small scales, but also gives rise to correction terms in evolution equations of modes relevant for observations. In particular, the evolution of inhomogeneities in the very early Universe should be affected. In this paper consistent evolution equations for gauge-invariant perturbations in the presence of inverse triad corrections of loop quantum gravity are derived. Some immediate effects are pointed out, for instance, concerning conservation of power on large scales and nonadiabaticity. It is also emphasized that several critical corrections can only be seen to arise in a fully consistent treatment where the gauge freedom of canonical gravity is not fixed before implementing quantum corrections. In particular, metric modes must be allowed to be inhomogeneous: it is not consistent to assume only matter inhomogeneities on a quantum-corrected homogeneous background geometry. In this way, stringent consistency conditions arise for possible quantization ambiguities, which will eventually be further constrained observationally.

Background-independent quantization and the uncertainty principle

It is shown that polymer quantization leads to a modified uncertainty principle similar to that motivated by string theory and non-commutative geometry. When applied to quantum field theory on general background spacetimes, corrections to the uncertainty principle acquire a metric dependence. For Friedmann–Robertson–Walker cosmology this translates to a scale factor dependence which gives a large effect in the early Universe.

Genericness of a big bounce in isotropic loop quantum cosmology.

The absence of isotropic singularity in loop quantum cosmology can be understood in an effective classical description as the Universe exhibiting a big bounce. We show that with a scalar matter field, the big bounce is generic in the sense that it is independent of quantization ambiguities and the details of scalar field dynamics. The volume of the Universe at the bounce point is parametrized by a single parameter. It provides a minimum length scale which serves as a cutoff for computations of density perturbations thereby influencing their amplitudes.

The Bianchi IX model in loop quantum cosmology

The Bianchi IX model has been used often to investigate the structure close to singularities of general relativity. Its classical chaos is expected to have, via the BKL scenario, implications even for the approach to general inhomogeneous singularities. Thus, it is a popular model to test consequences of modifications to general relativity suggested by quantum theories of gravity. This paper presents a detailed proof that modifications coming from loop quantum gravity lead to a non-chaotic effective behaviour. The way this is realized, independently of quantization ambiguities, suggests a new look at initial and final singularities.

Cosmological vector modes and quantum gravity effects

In contrast to scalar and tensor modes, vector modes of linear perturbations around an expanding Friedmann?Robertson?Walker universe decay. This makes them largely irrelevant for late time cosmology, assuming that all modes started out at a similar magnitude at some early stage. By now, however, bouncing models are frequently considered which exhibit a collapsing phase. Before this phase reaches a minimum size and re-expands, vector modes grow. Such modes are thus relevant for the bounce and may even signal the breakdown of perturbation theory if the growth is too strong. Here, a gauge-invariant formulation of vector mode perturbations in Hamiltonian cosmology is presented. This lays out a framework for studying possible canonical quantum gravity effects, such as those of loop quantum gravity, at an effective level. As an explicit example, typical quantum corrections, namely those coming from inverse densitized triad components and holonomies, are shown to increase the growth rate of vector perturbations in the contracting phase, but only slightly. Effects at the bounce of the background geometry can, however, be much stronger.

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.

Propagator in polymer quantum field theory

We study free scalar field theory on flat spacetime using a background independent (polymer) quantization procedure. Specifically we compute the propagator using a method that takes the energy spectrum and position matrix elements of the harmonic oscillator as inputs. We obtain closed form results in the infrared and ultraviolet regimes that give Lorentz invariance violating dispersion relations, and show suppression of propagation at sufficiently high energy.

Nonsingular inflationary universe from polymer matter

We consider a polymer quantization of a free massless scalar field in a homogenous and isotropic classical cosmological spacetime. This quantization method assumes that field translations are fundamentally discrete, and is related to but distinct from that used in loop quantum gravity. The semiclassical Friedmann equation yields a universe that is nonsingular and nonbouncing, without quantum gravity. The model has an early nearly de Sitter inflationary phase with sufficient expansion to resolve the horizon and entropy problems, and a built-in mechanism for a graceful exit from inflation.