We consider the quantization of a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe. We derive a reduced square root Hamiltonian by choosing the scale factor as time variable and quantize the theory using the Dirac method. From the resulting spinor equation we show that there is no semiclassical wave packet that avoids the Big Bang singularity. Our work raises the question concerning the relationship between the choice of time and singularity avoidance.
We consider the fourth-order differential theory of gravitation to treat the problem of singularity avoidance: studying the short-distance behaviour in the case of black-holes and the big-bang we are going to see a way to attack the issue from a general perspective.
We extend recent discussions of singularity avoidance in quantum gravity from isotropic to anisotropic cosmological models. The investigation is done in the framework of quantum geometrodynamics (Wheeler-DeWitt equation). We formulate criteria of singularity avoidance for general Bianchi class A models and give explicit and detailed results for Bianchi I models with and without matter. We find that the classical singularities can generally be avoided in these models.
We present a quantum model of the vacuum Bianchi-IX dynamics. It is based on four main elements. First, we use a compound quantization procedure: an affine coherent state quantization for isotropic variables and a Weyl quantization for anisotropic ones. Second, inspired by standard approaches in molecular physics, we make an adiabatic approximation (Born-Oppenheimer-like approximation). Third, we expand the anisotropy potential about its minimum in order to deal with its harmonic approximation. Fourth, we develop an analytical treatment on the semiclassical level. The resolution of the classic…
The purpose of this work is to investigate the consequences of quantum gravity for the singularity problem. We study the higher-derivative terms that invariably appear in any quantum field theoretical model of gravity, handling them both non-perturbatively and perturbatively. In the former case, by computing the contributions of the additional degrees of freedom to a congruence of geodesics, we show that the appearance of singularities is no longer a necessity. In the latter, which corresponds to treating the quantised general relativity as an effective field theory, we generalise the Hawking-…
We investigate the fate of the classical singularity in a collapsing dust cloud. For this purpose, we quantize the marginally bound Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi model for spherically-symmetric dust collapse by considering each dust shell in the cloud individually, taking the outermost shell as a representative. Because the dust naturally provides a preferred notion of time, we can construct a quantum mechanical model for this shell and demand unitary evolution for wave packets. It turns out that the classical singularity can generically be avoided provided the quantization ambiguities fulfill some we…
We propose a new version of the $AdS/CFT$ correspondence, where polymer structures similar to Loop Quantum Cosmology spin networks can be induced on an isotropic and homogeneous flat Randall-Sundrum II brane, corresponding to the holographic duals of closed string states living in the bulk. Such polymer structures drive a discrete evolution of the braneworld spacetime that leads to the regularization of the Big Bang singularity. The present results show that the $AdS/CFT$ conjecture can be a possible bridge between String theory and Loop Quantum Gravity.
Models of the universe with arbitrary (non gravitational) interaction between the components of the cosmic fluid: the phantom energy and the background, are investigated. A general form of the interaction that is inspired in scalar-tensor theories of gravity is considered. No specific model for the phantom fluid is assumed. We concentrate our investigation on solutions that are free of the coincidence problem. We found a wide region in the parameter space where the solutions are free of the big rip singularity also. Physical arguments, together with arguments based on the analysis of the obser…
In a previous paper, some of us studied general relativistic homogeneous gravitational collapses for dust and radiation, in which the density profile was replaced by an effective density justified by some quantum gravity models. It was found that the effective density introduces an effective pressure that becomes negative and dominant in the strong-field regime. With this set-up, the central singularity is replaced by a bounce, after which the cloud starts expanding. Motivated by the fact that in the classical case homogeneous and inhomogeneous collapse models have different properties, here w…
In this paper, we explore the gravitational collapse of matter (dust) under the effect of zero-point length $l_0$. During the gravitational collapse, we have neglected the backreaction effect of the pre-Hawking radiation (in the sense that it is small effect and cannot prevent the formation of apparent horizon), then we recast the internal metric of a collapsing star as a closed FRW universe for any spherically symmetric case and, finally, we obtain the minimal value for the scale factor meaning that the particles never hit the singularity. We argue that the object emerging at the end of the g…
Using a new procedure based on Kummer's Confluent Hypergeometric Functions, we investigate the question of singularity avoidance in loop quantum gravity (LQG) in the context of U$(1)^3$ complexifier coherent states and compare obtained results with already existing ones. Our analysis focuses on the dynamical operators, denoted by q(r), whose products are the analogue of the inverse scale factor in LQG and also play a pivotal role for other dynamical operators such as matter Hamiltonians or the Hamiltonian constraint. For graphs of cubic topology and linear powers in q(r), we obtain the correct…
We extend the scope of the Raychaudhuri-Komar singularity theorem of General Relativity to affine theories of gravity with and without torsion. We first generalize the existing focusing theorems using time-like and null congruences of curves which are hypersurface orthogonal, showing how the presence of torsion affects the formation of focal points in Lorentzian manifolds. Considering the energy conservation on a given affine gravity theory, we prove new singularity theorems for accelerated curves in the cases of Lorentzian manifolds containing perfect fluids or scalar field matter sources.
We derive loop quantum gravity corrections to the Raychaudhuri equation in the interior of a Schwarzschild black hole and near the classical singularity. We show that the resulting effective equation implies defocusing of geodesics due to the appearance of repulsive terms. This prevents the formation of conjugate points, renders the singularity theorems inapplicable, and leads to the resolution of the singularity for this spacetime.
A 5-dimensional gravity theory, motivated by the brane world picture, with factorisable metric and with Kaluza scalar $G_{55}(r)$, is shown to give rise to a positive contribution to the Raychaudhuri equation. This inhibits the focusing of geodesics and possibly cause non-focusing of the geodesics. This feature is translated into the situation in which the universe has an infinite age and hence no beginning avoiding the big bang singularity.
The R+S^2 theories of gravity, where S^2 denotes the quadratic torsion terms, are analyzed under three cases. In the first two cases, the matter fields are described by two different spin fluids which are not homogeneous and isotropic. In the third case, a homogeneous and isotropic torsion field is used. It is found that under all the three cases, the R+S^2 theories may avert the big-bang singularity of the Robertson--Walker universe, with three corresponding constraints on the parameters.
We consider the family of singularity-free rotating black hole solutions in Einstein's conformal gravity found in Bambi, Modesto & Rachwal (2017) and we constrain the value of the conformal parameter $L$ from the analysis of a 30 ks NuSTAR observation of the stellar-mass black hole in GS 1354-645 during its outburst in 2015. Our new constraint is much stronger than that found in previous work. Here we obtain $L/M < 0.12$ (99% confidence level, statistical uncertainty only).
We derive the conditions whereby null rays `defocus' within Infinite Derivative Gravity for perturbations around an (A)dS background, and show that it is therefore possible to avoid singularities within this framework. This is in contrast to Einstein's theory of General Relativity. We further extend this to an (A)dS-Bianchi I background metric, and also give an example of a specific perturbation where defocusing is possible given certain conditions.
We study the stability of an asymptotically flat, static, spherically symmetric naked singularity spacetime in the novel four dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet (EGB) gravity. The four dimensional EGB black hole for large enough values of the coupling parameter leads to such a naked singularity. The stability and the response of the spacetime is studied against the perturbations by test scalar, electromagnetic and Dirac fields and the time evolution of these perturbations were observed numerically. Implementing a null Dirichlet boundary condition near the singularity, we observed that for l=1 m…
We consider the most general renormalizable theory of propagating torsion in Einstein gravity for the Dirac matter distribution and we demonstrate that in this case torsion is a massive axial-vector field whose coupling to the spinor gives rise to conditions in terms of which gravitational singularities are not bound to form; we discuss how our results improve those that are presented in the existing literature, and that no further improvement can be achieved unless one is ready to re-evaluate some considerations on the renormalizability of the theory.
We study the sparsity of Hawking radiation from nonrotating singularity-free black holes in conformal gravity. We give a rigorous bound on the greybody factor for massless scalar field and calculate the sparsity of Hawking radiation from the black hole. Besides, we investigate the dependence of the greybody factor and the sparsity of Hawking radiation on the conformal parameters. Our study shows that the Hawking radiation from the black hole is extremely sparse. When the conformal parameters are large, the increase of conformal parameters will lead to an even more sparse Hawking radiation, whi…
In this note we explore a non-static spacetime in quantum regime in the background of $f(R)$ gravity. The time dependent Vaidya metric which represents the spacetime of a radiating body like star is studied in an energy dependent gravity's rainbow, which is a UV completion of General Relativity. In our quest we have used gravitational collapse as the main tool. The focus is to probe the nature of singularity (black hole or naked singularity) formed out of the collapsing procedure. This is achieved via a geodesic study. For our investigation we have considered two different models of $f(R)$ gra…
The present work investigates the gravitational collapse of a perfect fluid in $f(R)$ gravity models. For a general $f(R)$ theory, it is shown analytically that a collapse is quite possible. The singularity formed as a result of the collapse is found to be a curvature singularity of shell focusing type. The possibility of the formation of an apparent horizon hiding the central singularity depends on the initial conditions.
We demonstrate that the intermediate inflation scenario, is a singular inflation cosmology, with the singularity at the origin $t=0$ being a pressure and energy density singularity and particularly a Type III singularity. Also, we show that the expanding phase of a singular bounce, can be identical to the intermediate inflation scenario, if the singular bounce has a Type III singularity at the origin. For the intermediate inflation scenario we examine the cosmological implications on the power spectrum in the context of various forms of modified gravity. Particularly we calculate the power spe…
