Effective dynamics of the hybrid quantization of the Gowdy T^3 universe

The quantum dynamics of the linearly polarized Gowdy T^3 model (compact inhomogeneous universes admitting linearly polarized gravitational waves) is analyzed within Loop Quantum Cosmology by means of an effective dynamics. The analysis, performed via analytical and numerical methods, proves that the behavior found in the evolution of vacuum (homogeneous) Bianchi I universes is preserved qualitatively also in the presence of inhomogeneities. More precisely, the initial singularity is replaced by a big bounce which joins deterministically two large classical universes. In addition, we show that the size of the universe at the bounce is at least of the same order of magnitude (roughly speaking) as the size of the corresponding homogeneous universe obtained in the absence of gravitational waves. In particular, a precise lower bound for the ratio of these two sizes is found. Finally, the comparison of the amplitudes of the gravitational wave modes in the distant future and past shows that, statistically (i.e., for large samples of universes), the difference in amplitude is enhanced for nearly homogeneous universes, whereas this difference vanishes in inhomogeneity dominated cases. The presented analysis constitutes the first systematic effective study of an inhomogeneous system within Loop Quantum Cosmology, and it proves the robustness of the results obtained for homogeneous cosmologies in this context.Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures, RevTex4-1 + BibTe

Physical evolution in Loop Quantum Cosmology: The example of vacuum Bianchi I

We use the vacuum Bianchi I model as an example to investigate the concept of physical evolution in Loop Quantum Cosmology (LQC) in the absence of the massless scalar field which has been used so far in the literature as an internal time. In order to retrieve the system dynamics when no such a suitable clock field is present, we explore different constructions of families of unitarily related partial observables. These observables are parameterized, respectively, by: (i) one of the components of the densitized triad, and (ii) its conjugate momentum; each of them playing the role of an evolution parameter. Exploiting the properties of the considered example, we investigate in detail the domains of applicability of each construction. In both cases the observables possess a neat physical interpretation only in an approximate sense. However, whereas in case (i) such interpretation is reasonably accurate only for a portion of the evolution of the universe, in case (ii) it remains so during all the evolution (at least in the physically interesting cases). The constructed families of observables are next used to describe the evolution of the Bianchi I universe. The performed analysis confirms the robustness of the bounces, also in absence of matter fields, as well as the preservation of the semiclassicality through them. The concept of evolution studied here and the presented construction of observables are applicable to a wide class of models in LQC, including quantizations of the Bianchi I model obtained with other prescriptions for the improved dynamics.Comment: RevTex4, 22 pages, 4 figure

Anti-deSitter universe dynamics in LQC

A model for a flat isotropic universe with a negative cosmological constant $\Lambda$ and a massless scalar field as sole matter content is studied within the framework of Loop Quantum Cosmology. By application of the methods introduced for the model with $\Lambda=0$, the physical Hilbert space and the set of Dirac observables are constructed. As in that case, the scalar field plays here the role of an emergent time. The properties of the system are found to be similar to those of the $k=1$ FRW model: for small energy densities, the quantum dynamics reproduces the classical one, whereas, due to modifications at near-Planckian densities, the big bang and big crunch singularities are replaced by a quantum bounce connecting deterministically the large semiclassical epochs. Thus in Loop Quantum Cosmology the evolution is qualitatively cyclic.Comment: Revtex4, 29 pages, 20 figures, typos correcte

Extremal Isolated Horizons: A Local Uniqueness Theorem

We derive all the axi-symmetric, vacuum and electrovac extremal isolated horizons. It turns out that for every horizon in this class, the induced metric tensor, the rotation 1-form potential and the pullback of the electromagnetic field necessarily coincide with those induced by the monopolar, extremal Kerr-Newman solution on the event horizon. We also discuss the general case of a symmetric, extremal isolated horizon. In particular, we analyze the case of a two-dimensional symmetry group generated by two null vector fields. Its relevance to the classification of all the symmetric isolated horizons, including the non-extremal once, is explained.Comment: 22 pages, page size changed, typos and equations (142), (143a) corrected, PACS number adde