2003/02/09 by James P. Kneller, Louis E. Strigari · 18 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics #Boundary value problem #Cosmology #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Dark energy #Equipartition theorem #Exponent #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Geometry #Inverse #Magnetic field #Mathematical physics #Mathematics #Physics #Power law #Quantum mechanics #Quintessence #Range (aeronautics) #Scalar field #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.68.083517
published in Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields 68(8) (American Physical Society) · RevTEX4, 9 figures
arxiv created 2003/02/09 · openalex publication_date 2003/10/31 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
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 reexamine the popular inverse power-law model of quintessence (where the common solution is dubbed as the ``tracker'') with particular attention to the initial conditions for the field and their influence on the evolution. We find that previously derived limits on the parameters of the potential in this model are valid only in a range of initial conditions. A reasonably sharp boundary lies where the initial energy density of the scalar field is equal to that of the background radiation component. An initial quintessence energy density above this equipartition value leads to a solution that will not have joined the tracker solution by the present epoch. These nontracker solutions possess the property that their present equation of state is very compatible with the observed bounds and independent of the exponent of the potential.