A simple model of quintessential inflation with the modified exponential potential $e^{-alpha phi} [A+(phi-phi_0)^2]$ is analyzed in the braneworld context. Considering reheating via instant preheating, we conclude that the model exhibits transient acceleration at late times for $0.96 lesssim A alpha^2 lesssim 1.26$ and $271 lesssim phi_0 alpha lesssim 273$, while permanent acceleration is obtained for $2.3times10^{-8} lesssim A alpha^2 lesssim 0.98$ and $255 lesssim phi_0 alpha lesssim 273$. The steep parameter $alpha$ is constrained to be in the range $5.3 lesssim alpha lesssim 10.8$.
In this paper, we have presented a model of the FLRW universe filled with matter and dark energy fluids, by assuming an ansatz that deceleration parameter is a linear function of the Hubble constant. This results in a time-dependent DP having decelerating-accelerating transition phase of the universe. This is a quintessence model $omega_{(de)}geq -1$. The quintessence phase remains for the period $(0 leq z leq 0.5806)$. The model is shown to satisfy current observational constraints. Various cosmological parameters relating to the history of the universe have been investigated.
We discuss the issue of toy model building for the dark energy component of the universe. Specifically, we consider two generic toy models recently proposed as alternatives to quintessence models, known as Cardassian expansion and the Chaplygin gas. We show that the former is enteriely equivalent to a class of quintessence models. We determine the observational constraints on the latter, coming from recent supernovae results and from the shape of the matter power spectrum. As expected, these restrict the model to a behaviour that closely matches that of a standard cosmological constant $Lambda$.
We present an empirical model of Comptonization for fitting the spectra of X-ray binaries. This model, simpl, has been developed as a package implemented in XSPEC. With only two free parameters, simpl is competitive as the simplest empirical model of Compton scattering. Unlike other empirical models, such as the standard power-law model, simpl incorporates the basic physics of Compton scattering of soft photons by energetic coronal electrons. Using a simulated spectrum, we demonstrate that simpl closely matches the behavior of physical Comptonization models which consider the effects of optical depth, coronal electron temperature, and geometry. We present fits to RXTE spectra of the black-hole transient H1743-322 and a BeppoSAX spectrum of LMC X-3 using both simpl and the standard power-law model. A comparison of the results shows that simpl gives equally good fits and a comparable spectral index, while eliminating the troublesome divergence of the standard power-law model at low energies. Importantly, simpl is completely flexible and can be used self-consistently with any seed spectrum of photons. We show that simpl - unlike the standard power law - teamed up with diskbb (the standard model of disk accretion) gives results for the inner-disk radius that are unaffected by strong Comptonization, a result of great importance for the determination of black hole spin via the continuum-fitting method.
Constraints on an exact quintessence scalar-field model with an exponential potential are derived from gravitational lens statistics. An exponential potential can account for data from both optical quasar surveys and radio selected sources. Based on the Cosmic Lens All-Sky Survey (CLASS) sample, lensing statistics provides, for the pressureless matter density parameter, an estimate of Omega_{M0} = 0.31(-0.14)(+0.12).
We investigate the cosmological observational test of the extended quintessence model, i.e. a scalar-tensor gravity model with a scalar field potential serving as dark energy, by using the Planck 2018 cosmic microwave background (CMB) data, together with the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) and redshift-space distortion (RSD) data. As an example, we consider the model with a Brans-Dicke kinetic term $frac{omega(phi)}{phi} phi_{;mu} phi^{;mu} $ and a quadratic scalar potential $V (phi) = A + B (phi - phi_0) + frac{C}{2} (phi - phi_0)^2$, which reduces to general relativity (GR) in the limit $omega(phi) to infty$, and the cosmological constant in the limit $B=C=0$. In such a model the scalar field typically rolls down the potential and oscillates around the minimum of $V (phi)$. We find that the model parameter estimate for the CMB+BAO+RSD data set is given by $lg alpha = -3.6 _{-0.54}^{+0.66}~ (68%)$, corresponding to $ 3.8 times 10^5 < omega_0 < 9.5 times 10^7~ (68%)$, and $lg C = 4.9 pm 1.4~ (68%) $. However, the GR $Lambda$CDM model can fit the data almost as good as this extended quintessence model, and is favored by the Akaike information criterion (AIC). The variation of the gravitational constant since the epoch of Recombination is constrained to be $0.97 < G_{rm rec}/G_0 < 1.03~ (1 sigma)$. In light of recent report that the CMB data favors a closed universe, we consider the case with non-flat geometry in our fit, and find that the mean value of $Omega_k$ shifts a little bit from $-0.049$ to $-0.036$, and the parameters in our model are not degenerate with $Omega_k$.