Related papers: Cosmological Tracking Solutions
Recent observations suggest that a large fraction of the energy density of the universe has negative pressure. One explanation is vacuum energy density; another is quintessence in the form of a scalar field slowly evolving down a potential.…
Recently, we introduced the notion of "tracker fields," a form of quintessence which has an attractor-like solution. Using this concept, we showed how to construct models in which the ratio of quintessence to matter densities today is…
The role of the quintessence field as a probable candidate for the repulsive dark energy, the conditions for tracking and the requisites for tracker fields are examined. The concept of `integrated tracking' is introduced and a new criterion…
We study the robustness of the quintessence tracking scenario in the context of more general cosmological models that derive from high-energy physics. We consider the effects of inclusion of multiple scalar fields, corrections to the Hubble…
We discuss the dynamics of a quintessence model involving two coupled scalar fields. The model presents two types of solutions, namely solutions that correspond to eternal and transient acceleration of the universe. In both cases, we obtain…
Quintessence -- the energy density of a slowly evolving scalar field -- may constitute a dynamical form of the homogeneous dark energy in the universe. We review the basic idea in the light of the cosmological constant problem. Cosmological…
Although quintessence cosmologies seem to explain the amount of cosmological constant today, the required conditions are severe. For example, an extremely slowly varying and light scalar field that rolls toward the vanishing vacuum energy…
A common property of popular models of quintessence dark energy is the convergence to a common solution from a large range of the initial conditions. We re-examine the popular inverse power-law model of quintessence (where the common…
We study the dynamical properties of tracker quintessence models using a general parametrization of their corresponding potentials, and show that there is a general condition for the appearance of a tracker behavior at early times.…
Good tracking requires that the quintessence energy fraction slowly increase while the roll $\lambda\equiv -d\ln V/\varkappa d\phi$ slowly decreases, but is not yet truly slow-rolling. The supernova bound on the present quintessence…
We investigate the possibility of replacing the cosmological constant with gradual condensation of a scalar field produced during the decay of a superheavy dark matter. The advantage of this class of models to the ordinary quintessence is…
Recently, attempts have been made to understand the apparent near coincidence of the present dark energy and matter energy in terms of a dynamical attractor-like solution for the evolution of a scalar field. In these models the field…
Recent observations suggest that the accelerated expansion of the Universe at late times is caused by a temporally changing dark energy component, rather than the constant one in the standard $\Lambda$CDM scenario. In this context…
A cosmological constant fits all current dark energy data, but requires two extreme fine tunings, both of which are currently explained by anthropic arguments. Here we discuss anti-anthropic solutions to one of these problems: the cosmic…
At present we know nothing about the nature of the dark energy accounting for about 70% of the energy density of the Universe. One possibility is that the dark energy is provided by an extremely light field, the quintessence, rolling down…
Good tracking requires significant quintessence energy fraction, even in the past, but a potential that is not yet truly slow-rolling. The supernova bound on cosmic acceleration excludes constant equation of state and inverse power…
In the past years 'quintessence' models have been considered which can produce the accelerated expansion in the universe suggested by recent astronomical observations. One of the key differences between quintessence and a cosmological…
Quintessence is a canonical scalar field introduced to explain the late-time cosmic acceleration. The cosmological dynamics of quintessence is reviewed, paying particular attention to the evolution of the dark energy equation of state w.…
A generic feature of cosmic quintessence models is the possibility of significant energy density in the scalar field during the radiation dominated epoch. This possibility is even greater if the quintessence field begins in a…
The equation of state of the hypothetical dark energy component, which constitutes about two thirds of the critical density of the universe, may be very different from that of a cosmological constant. Employing a phenomenological model, we…