Quintessence: an analytical study, with theoretical and observational applications

Understand

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).