English

Is the Universe logotropic?

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 2016-11-29 v1 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Abstract

We consider the possibility that the universe is made of a single dark fluid described by a logotropic equation of state P=Aln(ρ/ρ)P=A\ln(\rho/\rho_*), where ρ\rho is the rest-mass density, ρ\rho_* is a reference density, and AA is the logotropic temperature. The energy density ϵ\epsilon is the sum of two terms: a rest-mass energy term ρc2\rho c^2 that mimics dark matter and an internal energy term u(ρ)=P(ρ)Au(\rho)=-P(\rho)-A that mimics dark energy. This decomposition leads to a natural, and physical, unification of dark matter and dark energy, and elucidates their mysterious nature. The logotropic model depends on a single parameter B=A/ρΛc2B=A/\rho_{\Lambda}c^2 where ρΛ\rho_{\Lambda} is the cosmological density. For B=0B=0, we recover the Λ\LambdaCDM model. Using cosmological constraints, we find that 0B0.094250\le B\le 0.09425. We consider the possibility that dark matter halos are described by the same logotropic equation of state. When B>0B>0, pressure gradients prevent gravitational collapse and provide halo density cores instead of cuspy density profiles, in agreement with the observations. The universal rotation curve of logotropic dark matter halos is consistent with the observational Burkert profile up to the halo radius. Interestingly, if we assume that all the dark matter halos have the same logotropic temperature BB, we find that their surface density Σ=ρ0rh\Sigma=\rho_0 r_h is constant. This result is in agreement with the observations where it is found that Σ0=141M/pc2\Sigma_0=141\, M_{\odot}/{\rm pc}^2 for dark matter halos differing by several orders of magnitude in size. Using this observational result, we obtain B=3.53×103B=3.53\times 10^{-3}. Assuming that ρ=ρP\rho_*=\rho_P, where ρP\rho_P is the Planck density, we predict B=3.53×103B=3.53\times 10^{-3}, in perfect agreement with the value obtained from the observations.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1504.08355,
  title  = {Is the Universe logotropic?},
  author = {Pierre-Henri Chavanis},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1504.08355},
  year   = {2016}
}

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R2 v1 2026-06-22T09:26:11.963Z