Generalized $f(R,\phi,X)$ gravity and the late-time cosmic acceleration

Understand

High-precision observational data have confirmed with startling evidence that the Universe is currently undergoing a phase of accelerated expansion.

• This phase, one of the most important and challenging current problems in cosmology, represents a new imbalance in the governing gravitational equations.
• Historically, physics has addressed such imbalances by either identifying sources that were previously unaccounted for, or by altering the gravitational theory.
• Several candidates, responsible for this expansion, have been proposed in the literature, in particular, dark energy models and modified gravity models, amongst others.