The metastable dark energy scenario is revisited by assuming that the current false vacuum energy density is the remnant from a primeval inflationary stage. The zero temperature scalar field potential is here described by an even power series up to order six which depends on 3 free parameters: the mass of the scalar field ($m$), the dimensionless ($λ$) specifying the standard self-interaction term, and a free cutoff mass scale ($M$) quantifying all possible deviations from the degenerate false vacuum state. The current $Λ$CDM model is a consequence of the very long decay time of the false vacuum which although finite is much greater than the current age of the Universe. This result remains valid for arbitrary combinations of the $m/M$ ratio which can analytically be determined in the thin-wall approximation and numerically calculated outside this limit. Unlike many claims in the literature the vacuum dominance may be temporary. The finiteness of the decay time suggests that the ultimate stage of the observed Universe in such a scenario will not be driven by a de Sitter type cosmology.
Revisiting Metastable Dark Energy in Light of DESI DR2 BAO and DESI DR1 Full-Shape Measurements
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute（韩国天体与宇宙科学研究所）；University of Science and Technology（科学技术大学）；Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics（大学间天文与天体物理中心）
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute（韩国天体物理与空间科学研究所）；University of Science and Technology（科学技术大学）；Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics（大学间天文与天体物理中心）；Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics（博戈留波夫理论物理研究所）
