Related papers: What If w < -1 ?
Models of dark energy are conveniently characterized by the equation-of-state parameter w=p/\rho, where \rho is the energy density and p is the pressure. Imposing the Dominant Energy Condition, which guarantees stability of the theory,…
Current constraints on the dark energy equation of state parameter, $w$, are expected to be improved by more than one order of magnitude in the next decade. If $|w-1| \gsim 0.01$ around the present time, but the dark energy dynamics is…
We demonstrate that cosmic microwave background observations consistent with a cosmological constant universe predict in a well-defined sense that lower redshift measures will nearly automatically deliver w=-1 for the dark energy equation…
Dark energy candidates for which the equation-of-state parameter w is less than -1 violate the dominant energy condition, and are typically unstable. In scalar-tensor theories of gravity, however, the expansion of the universe can mimic the…
Precision cosmological data hint that a dark energy with equation of state $w = P/\rho < -1$ and hence dubious stability is viable. Here we discuss for any $w$ nucleation from $\Lambda > 0$ to $\Lambda = 0$ in a first-order phase…
The mystery of the cosmological constant is probably the most pressing obstacle to significantly improving the models of elementary particle physics derived from string theory. The problem arises because in the standard framework of low…
We explore the properties of dark energy models for which the equation-of-state, w, defined as the ratio of pressure to energy density, crosses the cosmological-constant boundary w = -1. We adopt an empirical approach, treating the dark…
The phenomenon of the dark energy transition between the quintessence regime ($w > -1$) and the phantom regime ($w < -1$), also known as the cosmological constant boundary crossing, is analyzed in terms of the dark energy equation of state.…
In scalar-tensor theories of gravity, the equation of state of dark energy, w, can become smaller than -1 without violating any energy condition. The value of w today is tied to the level of deviations from general relativity which, in…
We combine recent measurements of Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropies, Supernovae luminosity distances and Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations to derive constraints on the dark energy equation of state w in the redshift range 0<z<2, using a…
We discuss the validity of general relativity at low-energy and relate the threshold below which the theory breaks down with the observed value of the cosmological constant. This suggests the existence of a mass scale of ${\cal O}(10^{-3})…
It is suggested, by using a covariant lagrangian formalism to estimate the equation of state $w = p/\rho$, that stringy dark energy predicts $w < -1$, a negative pressure larger in magnitude than that for a cosmological constant or…
If CDM particles decay and their lifetime is comparable to the age of the Universe, they can modify its equation of state. By comparing the results of numerical simulations with high redshift SN-Ia observations we show that this hypothesis…
The Cosmological Constant $\Lambda$, in different incarnations, has been with us for 100 years. Many surveys of dark energy are underway, indicating so far that the data are consistent with a dark energy equation of state of $w=-1$, i.e. a…
It is extraordinary that a number of observations indicate that we live in a spatially flat, low matter density Universe, which is currently undergoing a period of accelerating expansion. The effort to explain this current state has focused…
Recent data and new data analysis methods show that most probably the parameter $w$ in the equation of state of the dark energy is smaller than -1 at low redshifts. We briefly review some of the models with such a property and without…
Many ambitious experiments have been proposed to constrain dark energy and detect its evolution. At present, observational constraints are consistent with a cosmological constant and there is no firm evidence for any evolution in the dark…
We investigate the restrictions on the equation-of-state parameter of phantom cosmology, due to the minimum quantum gravitational requirements. We find that for all the examined $w_\Lambda(z)$-parametrizations and for arbitrary phantom…
Cosmological observations of the recent universe suggest that dark energy equation of state parameter $w$ is growing with time, departing from a cosmological constant for which $w=-1$. Standard quintessence models allow for a varying…
Although the cosmological constant has primarily cosmological consequences, its smallness poses one of the basic problems in particle physics. Various attempts have been made to explain this mystery, but no satisfactory solution has been…