The causal interpretation of conformally coupled scalar field quantum cosmology (Q1977588)

In this very well-written paper the authors discuss Bohm's interpretation of quantum mechanics to homogeneous and isotropic quantum cosmology. As a source for gravity a conformally coupled scalar field is considered. The spacelike foliation is assumed to be closed and of positive curvature. The discussion of the solutions of this model is simplified by the assumption of a small scale factor. As a result the authors classify all possible quantum trajectories of the corresponding Friedman-Robertson-Walker minisuperspace model, coupled to a scalar field. In the case where the scalar field is large one obtains an either expanding or contracting singular universe, where the behavior of the scale factor tends to be the classical one. The scalar field always has a quantum mechanical behavior. If the scalar field is small, both degrees of freedom behave non-classically. For all these solutions the existence of the quantum potential is essential. Interestingly, all classical solutions of the model discussed in this article are singular. This is in contrast to the quantum solutions, which may or may not be singular, depending on the quantum potential. The nonsingular solutions are either periodic or time symmetric. The singular quantum solutions present inflationary phases near the singularity. The authors point out that these phases are not present in the classical solutions.