Thermodynamics and two-fluid cosmological models

Abstract

Exact solutions of Einstein's field equations and the laws of thermodynamics are presented in which both a comoving radiative perfect fluid (modelling the cosmic microwave background) and a non-comoving imperfect fluid (modelling the observed material content of the Universe) act as the source of the gravitational field as represented by the flat FRW line element. The tilting velocity of the imperfect fluid is associated with the peculiar velocity of our local cluster of galaxies relative to the cosmic microwave background. In these relativistic two-fluid cosmological models the temperatures of the radiation and matter fields are equal until hydrogen recombines at 4000 K, after which time thermal contact between the two fluids is broken. The models presented are physically acceptable cosmologies that are shown to give rise to numerical predictions consistent with current observations.