Generalizing the generalized Chaplygin gas

Abstract

The generalized Chaplygin gas is characterized by the equation of state p = - A/rho^alpha, with alpha > -1 and w > -1. We generalize this model to allow for the cases where alpha < -1 or w < -1. This generalization leads to three new versions of the generalized Chaplygin gas: an early phantom model in which w << -1 at early times and asymptotically approaches w = -1 at late times, a late phantom model with w \approx -1 at early times and w -> - \infty at late times, and a transient model with w \approx -1 at early times and w -> 0 at late times. We consider these three cases as models for dark energy alone and examine constraints from type Ia supernovae and from the subhorizon growth of density perturbations. The transient Chaplygin gas model provides a possible mechanism to allow for a currently accelerating universe without a future horizon, while some of the early phantom models produce w < -1 without either past or future singularities.