Unimodular JT gravity and de Sitter quantum cosmology

Abstract

In this work, we show that a gauge-theoretic description of Jackiw-Teitelboim (JT) gravity naturally yields a Henneaux-Teitelboim (HT) unimodular gravity via a central extension of its isometry group, valid for both flat and curved two-dimensional spacetimes. HT gravity introduces a unimodular time canonically conjugate to the cosmological constant, serving as a physical time in quantum cosmology. By studying the mini-superspace reduction of HT₂ gravity, the Wheeler-DeWitt equation becomes a Schrödinger-like equation, giving a consistent and unitary quantum theory. Analysis of the wavefunction's probability density reveals a quantum distribution for the scale factor a, offering a quantum perspective on the expansion and contraction of the universe. In this perspective, the possibility of reaching the singular point a=0 signals that topology change could occur. Finally, we give a consistent quantum description of unimodular time that aligns seamlessly with Page-Wootters formulation of quantum mechanics, where quantum correlations between unimodular time and JT gravity are studied in HT₂ quantum cosmology.

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ORCID for Altay Etkin: orcid.org/0000-0002-3455-770X

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