We extend the loop quantum cosmology matter bounce scenario in order to include a dark energy era, which ends abruptly at a rip singularity where the scale factor and the Hubble rate diverge. In the “deformed matter bounce scenario,” the Universe is contracting from an initial noncausal matter dominated era until it reaches a minimal radius. After that it expands in a decelerating way, until at late times, where it expands in an accelerating way, and thus the model is described by a dark energy era that follows the matter dominated era. Depending on the choice of the free parameters of the model, the dark energy era is quintessential as what follows the matter domination era, and eventually it crosses the phantom divide line and becomes phantom. At the end of the dark energy era, a rip singularity exists, where the scale factor and Hubble rate diverge; however, the physical system cannot reach the singularity, since the effective energy density and pressure become complex. This indicates two things, first that the ordinary loop quantum cosmology matter bounce evolution stops, thus ending the infinite repetition of the ordinary matter bounce scenario. Second, the fact that both the pressure and the density become complex probably indicates that the description of the cosmic evolution within the theoretical context of loop quantum cosmology ceases to describe the physics of the system and possibly a more fundamental theory of quantum gravity is needed near the would be rip singularity. We describe the qualitative features of the model, and we also investigate how this cosmology could be realized by a viscous fluid in the context of loop quantum cosmology. In addition to this, we show how this deformed model can be realized by a canonical scalar field filled Universe, in the context of loop quantum cosmology. Finally, we demonstrate how the model can be generated by a vacuum $F(R)$ gravity.

• Received 2 May 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.94.064022