Effective Action for Loop Quantum Cosmology a la Palatini

Jun, 2008
4 pages
Published in:
  • JCAP 01 (2009) 030
e-Print:
Report number:
  • PI-QG-83

Citations per year

2008201220162020202402468101214
Abstract: (arXiv)
The resolution of the big bang singularity in loop quantum cosmology can be described by quantum gravitational modifications to the Friedman dynamics without introducing any new degrees of freedom. A challenging question is to construct a covariant effective action able to reproduce that new physics emergent at the Planck scale. By enlarging our scope to the realm of non-metric theories, we show that apparent tensions with conventional approaches can be overcome. We provide an algorithm to construct an effective action for loop quantum cosmology in the Palatini framework and obtain an action which involves an infinite series in the scalar curvature of the independent connection. This effective action successfully captures non-local quantum geometric effects and the non-singular bounce at the Planck scale and leads to general relativity at low curvatures.
  • 04.60.Pp
  • 04.60.Kz
  • quantum cosmology: loop space
  • effective action
  • covariance
  • big bang
  • quantum geometry