2007/01/04 by Carl L. Gardner, Gardner, Carl L.
Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #FOS: Physical sciences #High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph) #Relativity and Gravitational Theory #hep-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.hep-ph/0701036
20 pages, 15 figures
arxiv created 2007/01/04 · openalex publication_date 2007/01/04 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Quintessential inflation--in which a single scalar field plays the role of the inflaton and quintessence--from a sum of exponentials potential V = A (exp5 phi+expsqrt2 phi) or V = A (exp5 phi+expphi) or a cosh potential V = 2A cosh(5 phi) is considered in the context of five-dimensional gravitation with standard model particles confined to our 3-brane. Reheating is accomplished via gravitational particle production and the universe undergoes a transition from primordial inflation to radiation domination well before big bang nucleosynthesis. The transition to an accelerating universe due to quintessence occurs near z = 1, as in LambdaCDM. Braneworld quintessential inflation can occur for potentials with or without a minimum, and with or without eternal acceleration and an event horizon. The low z behavior of the equation of state parameter wphi provides a clear observable signal distinguishing quintessence from a cosmological constant.