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TheoremProved

Second Friedmann (acceleration) equation

Statement

Under the same hypotheses, if in addition the density and pressure obey the fluid (continuity) equation ρ˙+3a˙a(ρ+pc2)=0\dot\rho + 3\dfrac{\dot a}{a}\left(\rho + \dfrac{p}{c^{2}}\right) = 0, then a¨a=−4πG3(ρ+3pc2)+Λc23\dfrac{\ddot a}{a} = -\dfrac{4\pi G}{3}\left(\rho + \dfrac{3p}{c^{2}}\right) + \dfrac{\Lambda c^{2}}{3}.

Why is it true?

Unlike Newtonian gravity, in general relativity pressure itself gravitates alongside energy density — a subtle effect invisible in the first Friedmann equation, which only involves ρ\rho. The acceleration equation reveals this: ordinary matter and radiation, having positive pressure, always decelerate the expansion via the +3p/c2+3p/c^2 term, while something with sufically negative pressure, p<−ρc2/3p<-\rho c^2/3, flips the sign and drives a¨>0\ddot a>0 — cosmic acceleration, exactly what dark energy (modeled here by Λ\Lambda) does.

Proof sketch

Start from the first Friedmann equation in the form a˙2=8πG3ρa2−kc2+Λc23a2\dot a^2 = \dfrac{8\pi G}{3}\rho a^2 - kc^2 + \dfrac{\Lambda c^2}{3}a^2 and differentiate both sides with respect to tt: 2a˙a¨=8πG3(ρ˙a2+2ρaa˙)+2Λc23aa˙2\dot a\ddot a = \dfrac{8\pi G}{3}\left(\dot\rho a^2 + 2\rho a\dot a\right) + \dfrac{2\Lambda c^2}{3}a\dot a.

Divide every term by 2aa˙2a\dot a (valid whenever a˙≠0\dot a\neq0): a¨a=4πG3(ρ˙ aa˙+2ρ)+Λc23\dfrac{\ddot a}{a} = \dfrac{4\pi G}{3}\left(\dfrac{\dot\rho\, a}{\dot a} + 2\rho\right) + \dfrac{\Lambda c^2}{3}.

Now eliminate ρ˙\dot\rho using the fluid equation ρ˙+3a˙a(ρ+pc2)=0\dot\rho + 3\dfrac{\dot a}{a}\left(\rho + \dfrac{p}{c^{2}}\right) = 0, rearranged as ρ˙ aa˙=−3(ρ+pc2)\dfrac{\dot\rho\,a}{\dot a} = -3\left(\rho+\dfrac{p}{c^2}\right). Substituting: a¨a=4πG3(−3ρ−3pc2+2ρ)+Λc23=4πG3(−ρ−3pc2)+Λc23\dfrac{\ddot a}{a} = \dfrac{4\pi G}{3}\left(-3\rho-\dfrac{3p}{c^2}+2\rho\right)+\dfrac{\Lambda c^2}{3} = \dfrac{4\pi G}{3}\left(-\rho-\dfrac{3p}{c^2}\right)+\dfrac{\Lambda c^2}{3}.

This is exactly a¨a=−4πG3(ρ+3pc2)+Λc23\dfrac{\ddot a}{a} = -\dfrac{4\pi G}{3}\left(\rho + \dfrac{3p}{c^{2}}\right) + \dfrac{\Lambda c^{2}}{3}, as claimed. Notice the fluid equation itself is nothing more than the first law of thermodynamics d(ρc2a3)=−p d(a3)d(\rho c^2 a^3) = -p\,d(a^3) applied to an expanding comoving volume: energy inside a comoving patch changes only because the pressure does work as the patch's volume grows.

Topics that use this theorem

Step-by-step proofs

No step-by-step proof yet for this theorem.

References

  1. John A. Peacock (1999). Cosmological Physics
  2. Scott Dodelson, Fabian Schmidt (2020). Modern Cosmology
  3. DESI Collaboration (2024). DESI 2024 VI: cosmological constraints from the measurements of baryon acoustic oscillations
  4. NASA/JPL Cosmology Group (2024). Hubble Tension