Future dynamics in f(R) theories

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether future cosmic dynamics can distinguish between different $f(R)$ gravity theories, using numerical simulations of flat dust models constrained by recent cosmological data, to understand their implications for the universe's fate.

Contribution

It demonstrates that future dynamics analysis can effectively discriminate between $f(R)$ models and predict the universe's fate without dark energy, highlighting the role of specific $f(R)$ forms.

Findings

Future dynamics can differentiate $f(R)$ models.

Dust solutions with $f''<0$ may avoid singularities.

Big rip solutions exist without dark energy in certain $f(R)$ models.

Abstract

The $f(R)$ gravity theories provide an alternative way to explain the current cosmic acceleration without invoking dark energy matter component. However, the freedom in the choice of the functional forms of $f(R)$ gives rise to the problem of how to constrain and break the degeneracy among these gravity theories on theoretical and/or observational grounds. In this paper to proceed further with the investigation on the potentialities, difficulties and limitations of $f(R)$ gravity, we examine the question as to whether the future dynamics can be used to break the degeneracy between $f(R)$ gravity theories by investigating the future dynamics of spatially homogeneous and isotropic dust flat models in two $f(R)$ gravity theories, namely the well known $f(R) = R + \alpha R^{n}$ gravity and another by A. Aviles et al., whose motivation comes from the cosmographic approach to $f(R)$ gravity. To this end we perform a detailed numerical study of the future dynamic of these flat model in these theories taking into account the recent constraints on the cosmological parameters made by the Planck team. We show that besides being powerful for discriminating between $f(R)$ gravity theories, the future dynamics technique can also be used to determine the fate of the Universe in the framework of these $f(R)$ gravity theories. Moreover, there emerges from our numerical analysis that if we do not invoke a dark energy component with equation-of-state parameter $\omega < -1$ one still has dust flat FLRW solution with a big rip, if gravity deviates from general relativity via $f(R) = R + \alpha R^n $. We also show that FLRW dust solutions with $f''<0$ do not necessarily lead to singularity.