Wavepacket Evolution in Unimodular Quantum Cosmology

Abstract

The unimodular theory of gravity admits a canonical quantization of minisuperspace models without the problem of time. We derive instead a kind of Schrödinger equation. We have found unitarily evolving wave packet solutions for the special case of a massless scalar field and a spatially flat Friedmann universe. We show that the longterm behaviour of the expectation values of the canonical quantities corresponds to the evolution of the classical variables. The solutions provided in an explicit example can be continued beyond the singularity at t = 0 , passing a finite minimal extension of the universe.

Keywords

• unimodular quantum cosmology
• unitary time-evolution
• singularity
• massless scalar field
• stiff matter