As an alternative to the paradigm of slow roll inflation, we propose an extended scenario of the matter bounce cosmology in which the Universe has experienced a quasi-matter contracting phase with a variable background equation of state parameter. This extended matter bounce scenario can be realized by considering a single scalar field evolving along an approximately exponential potential. Our result reveals that the rolling of the scalar field in general leads to a running behavior on the spectral index of primordial cosmological perturbations and a negative running can be realized in this model. We constrain the corresponding parameter space by using the newly released Planck data. To apply this scenario, we revisit bouncing cosmologies within the context of modified gravity theories, in particular, the holonomy corrected loop quantum cosmology and teleparallel $F(T)$ gravity. A gravitational process of reheating is presented in such a matter bounce scenario to demonstrate the condition of satisfying current observations. We also comment on several unresolved issues that often appear in matter bounce models.
In this work, we have studied some bouncing cosmologies in the frame work of $f(R,T)$ gravity. The bouncing scenario has been formulated to avoid the big bang singularity. The physical and geometrical parameters are investigated. The effect of the extended gravity theory on the dynamical parameters of the model is investigated. It is found that, the $f(R,T)$ gravity parameter affects the cosmic dynamics substantially. We have also, tested the model through the calculation of the cosmographic coefficients and the $Om(z)$ parameter. A scalar field reconstruction of the bouncing scenario is also …
In this paper, we have shown the matter bounce scenario of the Universe in an extended symmetric teleparallel gravity, the f(Q) gravity. Motivated from the bouncing scenario and loop quantum cosmology (LQC), the form of the function $f(Q)$ has been obtained at the backdrop of Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson Walker (FLRW) space time. Considering the background cosmology dominated by dust fluid, the e-folding parameter has been expressed, which contains the nonmetricity term. Since the slow roll criterion in the bouncing context is not valid, we used a conformal equivalence between f(Q) and scalar-…
For the Bianchi type I space-time (vacuum or with a massless scalar field), the loop quantum cosmology bounce can be viewed as a rapid transition between two classical solutions, with a simple transformation rule relating the Kasner exponents of the two epochs. This transformation rule can be extended to other Bianchi space-times under the assumption that during the loop quantum cosmology bounce the contribution of the spatial curvature to the Hamiltonian constraint is negligible compared to the kinetic terms. For the vacuum Bianchi type IX space-time there are transformation rules for how eac…
The understanding of black holes in loop quantum gravity is becoming increasingly accurate. This review focuses on the possible experimental or observational consequences of the underlying spinfoam structure of space-time. It adresses both the aspects associated with the Hawking evaporation and the ones due to the possible existence of a bounce. Finally, consequences for dark matter and gravitational waves are considered.
We extend the matter bounce scenario to a more general theory in which the background dynamics and cosmological perturbations are generated by a $k$-essence scalar field with an arbitrary sound speed. When the sound speed is small, the curvature perturbation is enhanced, and the tensor-to-scalar ratio, which is excessively large in the original model, can be sufficiently suppressed to be consistent with observational bounds. Then, we study the primordial three-point correlation function generated during the matter-dominated contraction stage and find that it only depends on the sound speed par…
We analyse the classical and quantum dynamics of a Bianchi I model in the presence of a small negative cosmological constant characterizing its evolution in term of the dust-time dualism. We demonstrate that in a canonical metric approach, the cosmological singularity is removed in correspondence to a positive defined value of the dust energy density. Furthermore, the quantum Big-Bounce is connected to the Universe turning point via a well-defined semiclassical limit. Then we can reliably infer that the proposed scenario is compatible with a cyclical Universe picture. We also show how, when th…
In this paper, in an extended theory of gravity, we have presented bouncing cosmological model at the backdrop of an isotropic, homogeneous space-time, in presence of general relativistic hydrodynamics (GRH). The scale factor has been chosen in such a manner that with appropriate normalization, the quintom bouncing scenario can be assessed. Accordingly, the bounce occurs at $t=0$ and the corresponding Hubble parameter vanishes at the bounce epoch. The equation of state (EoS) parameter and the energy conditions of the model have been analysed. The violation of strong energy condition further su…
We investigate the classical and quantum behavior of a Bianchi I model in the presence of a stiff matter contribution when the Vilenkin interpretation of the wave function of the Universe is taken into account. We study its evolution in the so-called polymer representation of quantum mechanics, in order to characterize the modifications that a discrete nature in the isotropic variable of the Universe induces on the morphology of the cosmological singularity. We demonstrate that in such a model the Big-Bang singularity is removed at a semiclassical level in favor of a Big-Bounce when a lattice …
In the context of a ghost free $f(R,\mathcal{G})$ model, an extended matter bounce scenario is studied where the form of the scale factor is given by $a(t) = (a_0t^2 + 1)^n$. The ghost free character of the model is ensured by the presence of a Lagrange multiplier, as developed in \cite{Nojiri:2018ouv}. The conditions under which, in this model, the speed of gravitational waves becomes equal to the speed of light (equal to one, in natural units), thus becoming compatible with the striking event GW170817, is investigated. It is shown that this happens for a class of Gauss-Bonnet (GB) coupling f…
We propose a new approach for computing tunneling rates in quantum or thermal field theory with multiple scalar fields. It is based on exact analytical solutions of piecewise linear potentials with many segments that describes any given potential to arbitrary precision. The method is first developed for the single field case in 3 and 4 space-time dimensions and demonstrated on examples of classical potentials as well as the calculation of quantum fluctuations. A systematic expansion of the potential beyond the linear order is considered, taking into account higher order corrections, which pave…
The matter bounce scenario allows for a sizable parameter space where cosmological fluctuations originally exited the Hubble radius when the background energy density was small. In this scenario and its extended versions, the low energy degrees of freedom are likely responsible for the statistical properties of the cosmic microwave background power spectrum at large length scales. An interesting consequence is that these modes might be observable only at relatively late times. Therefore low redshift observations could provide evidence for, or even falsify, various bouncing models. We provide a…
We study the dynamics of gauge-invariant scalar perturbations in cosmological scenarios with a modified Friedmann equation, such as quantum gravity bouncing cosmologies. We work within a separate universe approximation which captures wavelengths larger than the cosmological horizon; this approximation has been successfully applied to loop quantum cosmology and group field theory. We consider two variables commonly used to characterise scalar perturbations: the curvature perturbation on uniform-density hypersurfaces $ζ$ and the comoving curvature perturbation $\mathcal{R}$. For standard cosmolo…
We have investigated some bouncing models in the framework of an extended gravity theory where the usual Ricci scalar in the gravitational action is replaced by a sum of the Ricci scalar and a term proportional to the trace of the energy momentum tensor. The dynamical parameters of the model are derived in most general manner. We considered two bouncing scenarios through an exponential and a power law scale factor. The non singular bouncing models also favour a late time cosmic speed up phenomenon. The dynamical behaviour of the equation of state parameter is studied for the models. It is obse…
In the context of a ghost free $f(R,\mathcal{G})$ model, we present a non-singular cosmological scenario in which the universe initially contracts through an ekpyrotic phase having a bouncing like behaviour, and following the bounce, it smoothly transits to a matter or radiation like deceleration era which is further smoothly connected to the dark energy era at present epoch. We consider the Gauss-Bonnet (GB) coupling function in such a way that it gets compatible with the event GW170817. Using suitable reconstruction technique, we obtain the non-trivial scalar field potential as well as the G…
Some bouncing models are investigated in the framework of an extended theory of gravity. The extended gravity model is a simple extension of the General Relativity where an additional matter geometry coupling is introduced to account for the late time cosmic speed up phenomena. The dynamics of the models are discussed in the background of a flat FRW universe. Some viable models are reconstructed for specifically assumed bouncing scale factors. The behavior of the models are found to be decided mostly by the parameters of the respective models. The extended gravity based minimal matter-geometry…
Recently the background independent nonperturbative quantization technique has been extended to theories of gravity and the corresponding quantum effective cosmology has been derived, which provides us with necessary avenue to explore the pre-inflationary dynamics. Brans-Dicke loop quantum cosmology (BDLQC) is one such theory whose effective background dynamics is considered in this article. Starting with a quantum bounce, we explore the pre-inflationary dynamics of a universe sourced by a scalar field with the Starobinsky potential in BDLQC. Our study is based on the idea that though Einstein…
We revisit the predictions for the duration of the inflationary phase after the bounce in loop quantum cosmology. We present our analysis for different classes of inflationary potentials that include the monomial power-law chaotic type of potentials, the Starobinsky and the Higgs-like symmetry breaking potential with different values for the vacuum expectation value. Our setup can easily be extended to other forms of primordial potentials than the ones we have considered. Independently on the details of the contracting phase, if the dynamics starts sufficiently in the far past, the kinetic ene…
The Galileon model is a tensor-scalar theory of gravity which explains the late acceleration of the Universe expansion with no instabilities and recovers General Relativity in the strong field limit. Most constraints obtained so far on Galileon model parameters from cosmological data were derived for the limited subset of tracker solutions and reported tensions between the model and data. This paper presents the first exploration of the general solution of the Galileon model, which is confronted against recent cosmological data for both background observables and linear perturbations, using Mo…
