1.II.15E

Cosmology
Part II, 2008

(i) A homogeneous and isotropic universe has mass density ρ(t)\rho(t) and scale factor a(t)a(t). Show how the conservation of total energy (kinetic plus gravitational potential) when applied to a test particle on the edge of a spherical region in this universe can be used to obtain the Friedmann equation

H2(a˙a)2=8πG3ρkc2a2,H^{2} \equiv\left(\frac{\dot{a}}{a}\right)^{2}=\frac{8 \pi G}{3} \rho-\frac{k c^{2}}{a^{2}},

where kk is a constant. State clearly any assumptions you have made.

(ii) Assume that the universe is flat (k=0)(k=0) and filled with two major components: pressure-free matter (PM=0)\left(P_{\mathrm{M}}=0\right) and dark energy with equation of state PΛ=ρΛc2P_{\Lambda}=-\rho_{\Lambda} c^{2} where their mass densities today (t=t0)\left(t=t_{0}\right) are given respectively by ρM0\rho_{\mathrm{M} 0} and ρΛ0\rho_{\Lambda 0}. Assuming that each component independently satisfies the fluid conservation equation, ρ˙=3H(ρ+P/c2)\dot{\rho}=-3 H\left(\rho+P / c^{2}\right), show that the total mass density can be expressed as

ρ(t)=ρM0a3+ρΛ0\rho(t)=\frac{\rho_{\mathrm{M} 0}}{a^{3}}+\rho_{\Lambda 0}

where we have set a(t0)=1a\left(t_{0}\right)=1.

Hence, solve the Friedmann equation and show that the scale factor can be expressed in the form

a(t)=α(sinhβt)2/3,a(t)=\alpha(\sinh \beta t)^{2 / 3},

where α\alpha and β\beta are constants which you should specify in terms of ρM0,ρΛ0\rho_{\mathrm{M} 0}, \rho_{\Lambda 0} and t0t_{0}.

[Hint: try the substitution b=a3/2b=a^{3 / 2}.]

Show that the scale factor a(t)a(t) has the expected behaviour for a matter-dominated universe at early times (t0)(t \rightarrow 0) and that the universe accelerates at late times (t)(t \rightarrow \infty).