Loop quantum cosmology: II. Volume operators (Q4954058)

A volume element \(\sqrt {-g}\) in gravity has very important properties. For example, if \(\sqrt {-g} \to 0\) then a topological transition can occur in this point. In this paper a volume operator in a loop quantum gravity is investigated. At the beginning the kinematical properties of some cosmological models treated in the previous paper are recalled. After this the volume of Bianchi class A models is quantized and compared with the volume operator of the full theory. In the case of locally rotationally symmetric and isotropic models the Higgs constraint is not empty and the author solves this constraint in a quantum theory. The results are used to quantize the volume operator and to calculate its spectrum. In the last section the author presents some applications: (a) quantum symmetry reduction; (b) level splitting; (c) construction of weave states; (d) as cosmological implications it is established that homogeneous metrics are very special in a quantum gravity and therefore the results obtained with minisuperspace models of the Wheeler-DeWitt approach are unlikely to be reproduced in a full quantum theory of gravity. For Part I, see ibid. 17, 1489-1508 (2000; Zbl 0969.83035).