Classical and quantum cosmology of the little rip abrupt event

TL;DR

This paper investigates the classical and quantum behavior of the universe near a little rip event, proposing a new phantom scalar field model and showing that quantum effects can potentially prevent the rip.

Contribution

It introduces a novel phantom scalar field model for the little rip and demonstrates quantum avoidance using the Wheeler-DeWitt equation in quantum geometrodynamics.

Findings

Quantum effects can prevent the little rip in certain models.

The wave function vanishes at the little rip, indicating avoidance.

Quantum cosmology can smooth out divergences caused by phantom matter.

Abstract

We analyze from a classical and quantum point of view the behavior of the universe close to a little rip, which can be interpreted as a big rip sent towards the infinite future. Like a big rip singularity, a little rip implies the destruction of all bounded structure in the Universe and is thus an event where quantum effects could be important. We present here a new phantom scalar field model for the little rip. The quantum analysis is performed in quantum geometrodynamics, with the Wheeler-DeWitt equation as its central equation. We find that the little rip can be avoided in the sense of the DeWitt criterion, that is, by having a vanishing wave function at the place of the little rip. Therefore our analysis completes the answer to the question: can quantum cosmology smoothen or avoid the divergent behavior genuinely caused by phantom matter? We show that this can indeed happen for the little rip, similar to the avoidance of a big rip and a little sibling of the big rip.