Cosmology with a time-variable cosmological 'constant'

1988/02/01 by P. J. E. Peebles, Bharat Ratra · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Relativity and Gravitational Theory #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics

paper · doi:10.1086/185100

openalex publication_date 1988/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

If the potential V(φ) of the scalar field that drove inflation had a power-law tail at large φ, V ~ φ^-aplpha^, the mass density, ρ<SUB>phi</SUB>_, associated with φ would act like a cosmological constant that decreases with time less rapidly than the mass densities of matter and radiation. If ρ<SUB>phi</SUB>_ were appreciable at the present epoch it could help reconcile the low dynamical estimates of the mean mass density with the negligibly small space curvature preferred by inflation.

Cited by

• Effective Phantom Dark Energy: What Cosmological Reconstruction Does and Does Not Imply
• Jim Peebles [wikipedia]