Paper 2, Section I, B

Cosmology
Part II, 2019

[You may work in units of the speed of light, so that c=1c=1.]

(a) Combining the Friedmann and continuity equations

H2=8πG3ρ,ρ˙+3H(ρ+P)=0H^{2}=\frac{8 \pi G}{3} \rho, \quad \dot{\rho}+3 H(\rho+P)=0

derive the Raychaudhuri equation (also known as the acceleration equation) which expresses a¨/a\ddot{a} / a in terms of the energy density ρ\rho and the pressure PP.

(b) Assuming an equation of state P=wρP=w \rho with constant ww, for what ww is the expansion of the universe accelerated or decelerated?

(c) Consider an expanding, spatially-flat FLRW universe with both a cosmological constant and non-relativistic matter (also known as dust) with energy densities ρcc\rho_{c c} and ρdust\rho_{d u s t} respectively. At some time corresponding to aeqa_{e q}, the energy densities of these two components are equal ρcc(aeq)=ρdust(aeq)\rho_{c c}\left(a_{e q}\right)=\rho_{d u s t}\left(a_{e q}\right). Is the expansion of the universe accelerated or decelerated at this time?

(d) For what numerical value of a/aeqa / a_{e q} does the universe transition from deceleration to acceleration?