Bulk viscous matter and recent acceleration of the universe based on causal viscous theory

The evolution of the bulk viscous matter dominated universe has been analysed using the full causal theory for the evolution of the viscous pressure in the context of the recent acceleration of the universe. The form of the viscosity is taken as ξ = αρ^1/2. We obtained analytical solutions for the Hubble parameter and scale factor of the universe. The model parameters have been computed using the observational data. The evolution of the prominent cosmological parameters was obtained. The age of the universe for the best estimated model parameters is found to be less than observational value. The viscous matter behaves like a stiff fluid in the early phase and evolves to a negative pressure fluid in the later phase. The equation of state is found to be stabilised with value ω > -1. The local as well as generalised second law of thermodynamics is satisfied. The statefinder diagnostic shows that this model is distinct from the standard ΛCDM. One of the marked deviations seen in this model to be compared with the corresponding model using the Eckart approach is that in this model the bulk viscosity decreases with the expansion of the universe, while in the Eckart formalism it increases from negative values in the early universe towards positive values. (orig.)