Revisitation of chaos in Bianchi IX Universe and in generalized scalar-tensor cosmologies

We show that there is a threshold for the onset of chaos in cosmology for the Universe described as a dynamical system derived from the Einstein equations of general relativity (GR). In the case of the mixmaster model (homogeneous and anisotropic cosmology with a Bianchi IX metric) the chaos occurs precisely at the prescribed necessary value H-vac = 0 of the GR for the energy of the Universe while the system is found regular for H-vac > 0 and chaotic for H-vac < 0 with respect to its pure vacuum part. In the case of generalized scalar tensor theories within the Bianchi IX model we show using the ADM formalism and a conformal transformation that the energy of the dynamical system as compared to vacuum lies below the threshold thus the system is not exhibiting chaos and the conclusion still holds in the presence of ordinary matter as well. The suppression of chaos occurs in a similar way for stiff matter alone. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.