Classical and Quantum Solutions in Brans-Dicke Cosmology with a Perfect Fluid

TL;DR

This paper uses symmetry methods to solve Brans-Dicke cosmology with a perfect fluid, deriving solutions that relate to general relativity and $f(R)$ gravity, highlighting conserved quantities and wavefunction oscillations.

Contribution

It introduces a symmetry-based approach to find exact solutions in Brans-Dicke cosmology with a perfect fluid, connecting quantum invariance to classical solutions.

Findings

Derived power-law potentials for the Brans-Dicke field based on symmetry conditions.

Obtained a closed-form solution for the Hubble parameter under specific conserved quantities.

Linked solutions to general relativity and $f(R)$ gravity models.

Abstract

We consider the application of group invariant transformations in order to constrain a flat isotropic and homogeneous cosmological model, containing of a Brans-Dicke scalar field and a perfect fluid with a constant equation of state parameter $w$, where the latter is not interacting with the scalar field in the gravitational action integral. The requirement that the Wheeler-DeWitt equation be invariant under one-parameter point transformations provides us with two families of power-law potentials for the Brans-Dicke field, in which the powers are functions of the Brans-Dicke parameter $\omega_{BD}$ and the parameter $w$. The existence of the Lie symmetry in the Wheeler-DeWitt equation is equivalent to the existence of a conserved quantity in field equations and with oscillatory terms in the wavefunction of the universe. This enables us to solve the field equations. For a specific value of the conserved quantity, we find a closed-form solution for the Hubble factor, which is equivalent to a cosmological model in general relativity containing two perfect fluids. This provides us with different models for specific values of the parameters $\omega_{BD},$ and $w$. Finally, the results hold for the specific case where the Brans-Dicke parameter $\omega_{BD}$ is zero, that is, for the O'Hanlon massive dilaton theory, and consequently for $f\left( R\right) $ gravity in the metric formalism.