Quintessence: an analytical study, with theoretical and observational applications

Abstract

We focus on minimally coupled (multi)field quintessence models, of thawing type, and their realistic solutions. In a model-independent manner, we describe analytically these cosmological solutions throughout the universe history. Starting with a kination - radiation domination phase, we obtain an upper bound on the scalar potential to guarantee an early kination: $V(\varphi) \ll e^{-\sqrt{6} \varphi}$. Turning to the radiation - matter phase, we obtain analytic expressions for the scale factor $a(t)$ (not $t(a)$) and the scalar fields $\varphi^i(t)$ (usually neglected). These allow us to evaluate analytically the freezing of scalar fields, typically $\Delta \varphi \lesssim 10^{-2}$, as well as the transition moment of the dark energy equation of state parameter $w_{\varphi}$ from $+1$ to $-1$, with excellent agreement to the numerics. We comment on this freezing in view of string theory model building, and of some cosmological events. Turning to the latest phase of matter - dark energy domination, we show that the (multi)field displacement is sub-Planckian: $\Delta \varphi \leq 1$. We also provide for that phase analytic expressions for $\int (w_{\varphi}+1)\, d N$ in terms of matter evolution; we relate those to observational targets that we propose. Using finally the CPL parametrisation, while discussing a phantom behaviour, we derive analytic bounds on $w_0$ and $w_a$.