Quantum Suppression of the Generic Chaotic Behavior Close to Cosmological Singularities

Martin Bojowald and Ghanashyam Date

Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 071302 – Published 20 February 2004

Abstract

In classical general relativity, the generic approach to the initial singularity is very complicated as exemplified by the chaos of the Bianchi IX model which displays the generic local evolution close to a singularity. Quantum gravity effects can potentially change the behavior and lead to a simpler initial state. This is verified here in the context of loop quantum gravity, using methods of loop quantum cosmology: The chaotic behavior stops once quantum effects become important. This is consistent with the discrete structure of space predicted by loop quantum gravity.

Received 23 October 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.071302

Authors & Affiliations

Martin Bojowald^*

Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm, Germany and Center for Gravitational Physics and Geometry, The Pennsylvania State University, 104 Davey Lab, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA

Ghanashyam Date^†