CROSSING OF THE w = -1 BARRIER IN VISCOUS MODIFIED GRAVITY

Abstract

We consider a modified form of gravity in which the action contains a power α of the scalar curvature. It is shown how the presence of a bulk viscosity in a spatially flat universe may drive the cosmic fluid into the phantom region (w < -1) and thus into a Big Rip singularity, even if it lies in the quintessence region (w > -1) in the nonviscous case. The condition for this to occur is that the bulk viscosity contains the power (2α-1) of the scalar expansion. Two specific examples are discussed in detail. The present paper is a generalization of the recent investigation dealing with barrier crossing in Einstein's gravity: I. Brevik and O. Gorbunova, Gen. Relativ. Gravit.37, 2039 (2005).