Quantum and Classical Cosmology in the Brans–Dicke Theory

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss classical and quantum aspects of cosmological models in the Brans–Dicke theory. First, we review cosmological bounce solutions in the Brans–Dicke theory that obeys energy conditions (without ghost) for a universe filled with radiative fluid. Then, we quantize this classical model in a canonical way, establishing the corresponding Wheeler–DeWitt equation in the minisuperspace, and analyze the quantum solutions. When the energy conditions are violated, corresponding to the case ω<−32, the energy is bounded from below and singularity-free solutions are found. However, in the case ω>−32, we cannot compute the evolution of the scale factor by evaluating the expectation values because the wave function is not finite (energy spectrum is not bounded from below). However, we can analyze this case using Bohmian mechanics and the de Broglie–Bohm interpretation of quantum mechanics. Using this approach, the classical and quantum results can be compared for any value of ω.