Abstract
We study the signature change in a perfect fluid Friedmann-Robertson-Walker quantum cosmological model. In this work the Schutz’s variational formalism is applied to recover the notion of time. This gives rise to a Schrödinger-Wheeler-DeWitt equation with arbitrary ordering for the scale factor. We use the eigenfunctions in order to construct wave packets and evaluate the time-dependent expectation value of the scale factor which coincides with the ontological interpretation. We show that these solutions exhibit signature transitions from a finite Euclidean to a Lorentzian domain. Moreover, such models are equivalent to a classical system where, besides the perfect fluid, a repulsive fluid is present.
- Received 20 February 2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.77.123529
©2008 American Physical Society