New exact cosmological solutions to Einstein's gravity minimally coupled to a Quintessence field

Abstract

A linear relationship between the Hubble expansion parameter and the time derivative of the scalar field is assumed in order to derive exact analytic cosmological solutions to Einstein's gravity with two fluids: a barotropic perfect fluid of ordinary matter, together with a self-interacting scalar field fluid accounting for the dark energy in the universe. A priori assumptions about the functional form of the self-interaction potential or about the scale factor behavior are not neccessary. These are obtained as outputs of the assumed linear relationship between the Hubble expansion parameter and the time derivative of the scalar field. As a consequence only a class of exponential potentials and their combinations can be treated. The relevance of the solutions found for the description of the cosmic evolution are discussed in some detail. The possibility to have superaccelerated expansion within the context of normal quintessence models is also discussed.