Homogeneous spacetime with shear viscosity

Abstract

We study the homogeneous and anisotropic evolution of Bianchi type-I spacetime driven by perfect fluid with shear viscosity. We obtain exact solutions by considering the simplest form of the equation of state wherein the pressure and the shear stress are proportional to the energy density individually. A special case of our general solutions represent Bianchi type-VII cosmology. We analyse the singularity structure of the solutions and its connection with various energy conditions. We find that the initial singularity can be removed only for the Bianchi type-VII. We also analyse the late-time behaviour of the solutions and find that, compared to the usual Friedmann universe, the spacetime expands less rapidly and the energy density drops faster.