A conventional form of dark energy

Abstract

Motivated by recent results, indicating that the dark matter (DM) constituents can be collisional, we assume that the DM itself possesses also some sort of thermodynamical properties. In this case, the Universe matter-content can be treated as a gravitating fluid of positive pressure, and, therefore, together with all the other physical characteristics, the energy of this fluid's internal motions should be taken into account as a source of the universal gravitational field. In principle, this form of energy can compensate, also, the extra (dark) energy, needed to compromise spatial flatness, while, the post-recombination Universe remains ever-decelerating. What is more interesting, is that, at the same time (i.e., in the context of the collisional-DM approach), the theoretical curve, representing the distance modulus as a function of the cosmological redshift, fits the Hubble diagram of an extended sample of SN Ia events quite accurately. However, as we demonstrate, this is not the case for someone who, although living in a Universe filled with collisional DM, insists in adopting the traditional, collisionless-DM approach. From the point of view of such an observer, the distant light-emitting sources seem to lie farther (i.e., they appear to be dimmer) than expected, while, the Universe appears to be either accelerating or decelerating, depending on the value of the cosmological redshift.