Exact solutions for scalar field cosmology in f(R) gravity

Abstract

We look for exact solutions in scalar field cosmology. To achieve this we use $f(R)$ modified gravity with a scalar field and do not specify the the form of the $f(R)$ function. In particular, we study Friedmann universe assuming that acceleration of the scalar curvature is negligible. We first present solutions for special cases and then the general solution. Using initial conditions which represent the universe at the present epoch, we evaluated the constants of integration. This allows for the comparison of the scale factor in the new solutions with that of the $\Lambda CDM$ solution, thereby affecting the age of the universe in $f(R)$ gravity.