Bianchi type-I universe in modified theory of gravity

In this presentation, we have studied an anisotropic Bianchi type-I cosmological model within the framework of f(R, T) gravity. Our motivation to study an anisotropic model is the following. Observations seem to indicate that the universe is flat, but they do not rule out some small measure of anisotropy.
To obtain exact solutions of the field equations, we have used the condition that σ/θ, where  is σ is the anisotropy, and θ is the expansion scalar, be a function of the scale factor [IJTP, 54, (2015), 2740-2757]. Our model possesses an initial singularity and during early times, exhibits decelerating
expansion. Later, the universe transits to accelerating expansion at late times. We have analyzed the cosmological parameters, both with time and redshift, and illustrated their evolution by means of pictorial representations. The energy conditions are analysed in detail, and illustrated by means of
diagrams. Statefinder diagnostics are carried out as well. We confront the models against observational data by using the 57 data point measurements of the Hubble parameter. It is found that our model fits the observed data well. Finally, we plot the higher order derivatives of the scale factor, viz., the jerk, snap and lerk parameters. These parameters show the deviation of our models from the standard ΛCDM model.