Inflation in loop quantum cosmology: Dynamics and spectrum of gravitational waves

TL;DR

This paper explores how loop quantum cosmology modifies early universe dynamics, particularly inflation and gravitational wave spectra, using analytical and numerical methods to identify observable features.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of inflation conditions and gravitational wave spectra within loop quantum cosmology, highlighting features potentially detectable by observations.

Findings

Inflation conditions are generically satisfied in the model.

The primordial tensor power spectrum exhibits distinctive features.

Several predicted gravitational wave signatures could be observationally tested.

Abstract

Loop quantum cosmology provides an efficient framework to study the evolution of the Universe beyond the classical Big Bang paradigm. Because of holonomy corrections, the singularity is replaced by a "bounce". The dynamics of the background is investigated into the details, as a function of the parameters of the model. In particular, the conditions required for inflation to occur are carefully considered and are shown to be generically met. The propagation of gravitational waves is then investigated in this framework. By both numerical and analytical approaches, the primordial tensor power spectrum is computed for a wide range of parameters. Several interesting features could be observationally probed.