A measure of the impact of future dark energy experiments based on discriminating power among quintessence models

Understand

We evaluate the ability of future data sets to discriminate among different quintessence dark energy models.

• This approach gives an alternative measure for assessing the impact of future experiments, as compared with the large body of literature that compares experiments in abstract parameter spaces and more recent work that evaluates the constraining power of experiments on individual parameter spaces of specific quintessence models.
• We use the Dark Energy Task Force (DETF) models of future data sets, and compare the discriminative power of experiments designated by the DETF as Stages 2, 3, and 4.
• Our work reveals a minimal increase in discriminating power when comparing Stage 3 to Stage 2, but a very striking increase in discriminating power when going to Stage 4.