Inflationary Cosmology and Oscillating Universes in Loop Quantum Cosmology

TL;DR

This paper explores oscillating universe models in Loop Quantum Cosmology, analyzing how they can lead to inflationary conditions while considering different curvature and potential types, highlighting complex dynamics and semi-classical constraints.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of flat and curved oscillating universes with various scalar potentials within Loop Quantum Cosmology, emphasizing initial conditions for inflation and semi-classical bounds.

Findings

Rich oscillatory dynamics with negative potentials

Challenges in respecting semi-classical bounds in certain models

Potential for setting initial conditions for inflation

Abstract

We study oscillatory universes within the context of Loop Quantum Cosmology. We make a comparative study of flat and positively curved universes sourced by scalar fields with either positive or negative potentials. We investigate how oscillating universes can set the initial conditions for successful slow-roll inflation, while ensuring that the semi-classical bounds are satisfied. We observe rich oscillatory dynamics with negative potentials, although it is difficult to respect the semi-classical bounds in models of this type.