Quantum cosmological metroland model

Abstract

Relational particle mechanics is useful for modelling whole-universe issues such as quantum cosmology or the problem of time in quantum gravity, including some aspects outside the reach of comparably complex mini-superspace models. In this paper, we consider the mechanics of pure shape and not scale of four particles on a line, so that the only physically significant quantities are ratios of relative separations between the constituents' physical objects. Many of our ideas and workings extend to the N-particle case. As such models' configurations resemble depictions of metro lines in public transport maps, we term them ‘N-stop metrolands’. This 4-stop model's configuration space is a 2-sphere, from which our metroland mechanics interpretation is via the ‘cubic’ tessellation. This model yields conserved quantities which are mathematically SO(3) objects like angular momenta but are physically relative dilational momenta (i.e. coordinates dotted with momenta). We provide and interpret various exact and approximate classical and quantum solutions for 4-stop metroland; from these results one can construct expectations and spreads of shape operators that admit interpretations as relative sizes and the ‘homogeneity of the model universe's contents’, and also objects of significance for the problem of time in quantum gravity (e.g. in the naïve Schrödinger and records theory timeless approaches).