Singularities in Isotropic Non-Minimal Scalar Field Models

TL;DR

This paper investigates how non-minimal scalar field coupling affects classical singularities in isotropic models and explores extending quantum gravity singularity removal techniques to these non-minimal scenarios.

Contribution

It analyzes the impact of non-minimal coupling on singularities and discusses the challenges of conformal transformations, extending quantum gravity methods to non-minimal models.

Findings

Non-minimal coupling alters behavior near singularities.

Conformal transformations can become singular, affecting model equivalence.

Quantum gravity techniques can be extended to non-minimal models.

Abstract

Non-minimally coupling a scalar field to gravity introduces an additional curvature term into the action which can change the general behavior in strong curvature regimes, in particular close to classical singularities. While one can conformally transform any non-minimal model to a minimally coupled one, that transformation can itself become singular. It is thus not guaranteed that all qualitative properties are shared by minimal and non-minimal models. This paper addresses the classical singularity issue in isotropic models and extends singularity removal in quantum gravity to non-minimal models.