Title

Essentials of k-Essence

Author(s)/Creator(s)

Christian Armendariz-Picon, Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NYFollow
V. Mukhanov, Ludwig Maximilians Universitat, Munchen
Paul J. Steinhardt, Princeton University

Document Type

Article

Date

6-27-2000

Language

English

Disciplines

Physics

Description/Abstract

We recently introduced the concept of "k-essence" as a dynamical solution for explaining naturally why the universe has entered an epoch of accelerated expansion at a late stage of its evolution. The solution avoids fine-tuning of parameters and anthropic arguments. Instead, k-essence is based on the idea of a dynamical attractor solution which causes it to act as a cosmological constant only at the onset of matter-domination. Consequently, k-essence overtakes the matter density and induces cosmic acceleration at about the present epoch. In this paper, we present the basic theory of k-essence and dynamical attractors based on evolving scalar fields with non-linear kinetic energy terms in the action. We present guidelines for constructing concrete examples and show that there are two classes of solutions, one in which cosmic acceleration continues forever and one in which the acceleration has finite duration

Additional Information

14 pages, 11 figures More information at http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0006373

Recommended Citation

Armendariz-Picon, Christian; Mukhanov, V.; and Steinhardt, Paul J., "Essentials of k-Essence" (2000). Physics - All Scholarship. 234.
https://surface.syr.edu/phy/234

Source

Harvested from Arxiv.org

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.