Measuring the Chaplygin gas equation of state from angular and luminosity distances

An exotic dark component, named generalized Chaplygin gas (Cg) and parameterized by an equation of state $p=-A\mathrm{/}{\rho }_{Cg}^{\alpha }$ where $A$ and $\alpha$ are arbitrary constants, is one of the possible candidates for dark energy as well as for a unified scenario of dark matter/energy. In this paper we investigate qualitative and quantitative aspects of the angular size - redshift test in cosmological models driven by such a dark component. We discuss the prospects for constraining the Cg equation of state from measurements of the angular size at low and high redshift radio sources and also from a joint analysis involving angular size and supernova data. A detailed discussion about the influence of the Cg on the minimal redshift at which the angular size of an extragalactic source takes its minimal value is also presented.