Phase space analysis of a FRW cosmology in the Maxwell–Cattaneo approach

Abstract

In this work, we present a phase space analysis of a spatially flat Friedmann–Robertson–Walker (FRW) model in which the dark matter fluid is modeled as an imperfect fluid having bulk viscosity. The bulk viscosity is governed by the Maxwell–Cattaneo approach. The rest of the components of the model — radiation and dark energy — are treated as perfect fluids. Imposing a complete cosmological dynamics and taking into account a recent constraint on the dark matter equation-of-state (EOS), we obtain bound on the bulk viscosity. We show that is possible to describe transitions from radiation-dominated to matter-dominated period, which then evolves to a stable accelerated solution of late time. At early time, before the radiation-dominated epoch, the model suggests the presence of an unstable stiff matter solution which is not possible to associate with a viable configuration in the early universe.