Bouncing Cosmological Models and Energy Conditions in $f(Q, L_m)$ gravity

TL;DR

This paper investigates bouncing cosmological models within $f(Q, L_m)$ gravity, analyzing their dynamics, energy conditions, and the phantom nature of the equation of state during the bounce.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of four bouncing models in $f(Q, L_m)$ gravity, highlighting energy condition violations and phantom EoS behavior at the bounce.

Findings

Scale factor and Hubble parameter support bouncing scenarios.

EoS parameters enter the phantom region during bounce.

Null energy condition is violated at the bouncing epoch.

Abstract

This study explores the bouncing solutions within the framework of modified $f(Q, L_m)$ gravity. We examine four prominent bouncing models, the symmetric bounce, super bounce, oscillatory bounce, and matter bounce, each of which has been extensively analyzed in the context of modified gravity theories. Our investigation focuses on the behavior of the Hubble parameter, the evolution of the scale factor, and the equation of state (EoS) parameters. Notably, the dynamics of the scale factor and Hubble parameter effectively support the bouncing scenario. During the bouncing epoch, the EoS parameters fall within the phantom region, reinforcing the viability of the bounce. To further validate the bouncing scenario, we assess the energy conditions associated with each model. Our findings reveal a violation of the null energy condition at the bouncing epoch, which successfully characterizes the model's bouncing behavior.