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Phys. Rev. D 57, 4707–4717 (1998)

Singularities and the classical limit in quantum cosmology with scalar fields

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Roberto Colistete, Jr.* and Júlio C. Fabris
Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, 29060-900, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil

Nelson Pinto-Neto
Lafex, Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, Rua Xavier Sigaud 150, 22290-180, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Received 17 November 1997; published in the issue dated 15 April 1998

Minisuperspace models derived from Kaluza-Klein theories and low-energy string theory are studied. They are equivalent to one and two minimally coupled scalar fields. The general classical and quantum solutions are obtained. A Gaussian superposition of WKB solutions is constructed. Contrary to what is usually expected, these states are sharply peaked around the classical trajectories only for small values of the scale factor. This behavior is confirmed in the framework of the causal interpretation: the Bohmian trajectories of many quantum states are classical for small values of the scale factor but present quantum behavior when the scale factor becomes large. A consequence of this fact is that these states present an initial singularity. However, there are some particular superpositions of these wave functions which have Bohmian trajectories without singularities. There are also singular Bohmian trajectories with a short period of inflation which grow forever. We could not find any nonsingular trajectory which grows to the size of our universe.

© 1998 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevD.57.4707
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevD.57.4707
PACS:
98.80.Hw, 04.20.Cv, 04.60.Kz

*Email address: roberto@cce.ufes.br

Email address: fabris@cce.ufes.br

Email address: nen@lca1.drp.cbpf.br