The simplest non-minimal matter–geometry coupling in the f(R, T) cosmology

• Published in: The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields Vol. 77; no. 7; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Moraes, P. H. R. S., Sahoo, P. K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.07.2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Analysis; Astronomy; Astrophysics and Cosmology; Cosmology; Coupling; Dark energy; Deceleration; Elementary Particles; Formalism; Geometry; Gravitation theory; Gravity (Force); Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Mathematical models; Measurement Science and Instrumentation; Nuclear Energy; Nuclear Physics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum Field Theories; Quantum Field Theory; Regular Article - Theoretical Physics; String Theory; Universe
• ISSN: 1434-6044; 1434-6052
• DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-017-5062-8

f ( R ,  T ) gravity is an extended theory of gravity in which the gravitational action contains general terms of both the Ricci scalar R and the trace of the energy-momentum tensor T . In this way, f ( R ,  T ) models are capable of describing a non-minimal coupling between geometry (through terms in R ) and matter (through terms in T ). In this article we construct a cosmological model from the simplest non-minimal matter–geometry coupling within the f ( R ,  T ) gravity formalism, by means of an effective energy-momentum tensor, given by the sum of the usual matter energy-momentum tensor with a dark energy contribution, with the latter coming from the matter–geometry coupling terms. We apply the energy conditions to our solutions in order to obtain a range of values for the free parameters of the model which yield a healthy and well-behaved scenario. For some values of the free parameters which are submissive to the energy conditions application, it is possible to predict a transition from a decelerated period of the expansion of the universe to a period of acceleration (dark energy era). We also propose further applications of this particular case of the f ( R ,  T ) formalism in order to check its reliability in other fields, rather than cosmology.