Fitting the Supernova Type Ia Data with the Chaplygin Gas

Abstract

The supernova type Ia observational data are fitted using a model with cold dark matter and the Chaplygin gas. The Chaplygin gas, which is characterized by a negative pressure varying with the inverse of density, represents in this model the dark energy responsible for the accelaration of the universe. The fitting depends essentially on four parameters: the Hubble constant, the velocity of sound of the Chaplygin gas and the fraction density of the Chaplygin gas and the cold dark matter. The best fitting model is obtained with H_0 = 65 km/Mpc.s, $c_s^2 \sim 0.92c$ and Omega_{c0} = 1, Omega_{m0} = 0, that is, a universe completely dominated by the Chaplygin gas. This reinforces the possibility that the Chaplygin gas may unify dark matter and dark energy, as it has already been claimed in the literature.