Clock Time in Quantum Cosmology

Abstract

We consider the conditioning of the timeless solution to the Wheeler–DeWitt equation by a predefined matter clock state in the simple scenario of an FLRW universe. The resulting evolution of the geometrodynamical degree of freedom with respect to clock time is characterized by the “Berry connection” of the reduced geometrodynamical space, which relies on the coupling of the clock with the geometry. When the connection vanishes, the standard Schrödinger equation is obtained for the geometry with respect to clock time. When one considers environment-induced decoherence in the semiclassical limit, this condition is satisfied, and clock time coincides with cosmic time. Explicit results for the conditioned wave functions for minimal clocks made up of two quantum harmonic oscillator eigenstates are shown.