We present model independent reconstructions of quintessence and the Swampland conjectures (SC) using both Machine Learning (ML) and cosmography. In particular, we demonstrate how the synergies between theoretical analyses and ML can provide key insights on the nature of dark energy and modified gravity. Using the Hubble parameter $H(z)$ data from the cosmic chronometers we find that the ML and cosmography reconstructions of the SC are compatible with observations at low redshifts. Finally, including the growth rate data $fσ_8(z)$ we perform a model independent test of modified gravity cosmologies through two phase diagrams, namely $H-fσ_8$ and $η-fσ_8$, where the anisotropic stress parameter $η$ is obtained via the $E_g$ statistics, which is related to gravitational lensing data. While the first diagram is consistent within the errors with the $Λ$CDM model, the second one has a $\sim 2σ$ deviation of the anisotropic stress from unity at $z\sim 0.3$ and a $\sim 4σ$ deviation at $z\sim 0.9$, thus pointing toward mild deviations from General Relativity, which could be further tested with upcoming large-scale structure surveys.
Direct cosmographic reconstruction of the quintessence potential
Center for Space Research, North-West University（西北大学空间研究中心）；Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Cape Town（开普敦大学数学与应用数学系）；Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University（范德堡大学物理与天文学系）
We provide a detailed discussion of the main theoretical and phenomenological challenges of quintessence model building in any numerically controlled regime of the moduli space of string theory. We argue that a working quintessence model requires a leading order non-supersymmetric (near) Minkowski vacuum with an axionic flat direction. This axion, when lifted by subdominant non-perturbative effects, could drive hilltop quintessence only for highly tuned initial conditions and a very low inflationary scale. Our analysis has two important implications. Firstly, scenarios which are in agreement w…
In this paper, with the presence of swampland conjecture, we use the complex form of a scalar field and investigate the anisotropic constant-roll of an inflationary scenario. Recently, the complex quintessence field has been used to describe the accelerating expansion of the universe which has had interesting results connecting with various conditions. Therefore, the Lagrangian density of the quintessence field leads to obtaining the equations of the complex scalar field. Also, we use the anisotropic constant-roll conditions and the field equation and calculate the exact solutions for some cos…
We provide evidence that slow roll is not possible in any parametrically controlled regime of the moduli space of string theory. This is proven in full generality in the asymptotic limit of the moduli space of type II and heterotic Calabi-Yau compactifications for the dilaton and any number of Kähler moduli. Our results suggest that in order to build quintessence into string theory one must work in the interior of moduli space where numerical, even if not parametric, control could still be achieved.
The string theory swampland proposes that there is no UV-completion for an effective field theory with an exact (metastable) de Sitter vacua, thereby ruling out standard $Λ$CDM cosmology if the conjecture is taken seriously. The swampland criteria have also been shown to be in sharp tension with quintessence models under current and forthcoming observational bounds. As a logical next step, we introduce higher derivative self-interactions in the low-energy effective Lagrangian and show that one can satisfy observational constraints as well as the swampland criteria for some specific models. In …
We propose a simple, well-motivated and robust alternative to a metastable de Sitter vacuum in string theory, consistent with current observations of dark energy and naturally satisfying conjectured swampland constraints. Inflation ends in a supersymmetric Minkowski minimum, with a flat direction that is protected by non-renormalisation theorems. At some scale non-perturbative effects kick in, inducing a runaway scalar potential. The tail of this runaway potential cannot sustain a late-time dominating, slow-roll quintessence. However, the potential always contains a dS maximum. If the modulus …
We examine the Swampland conjectures in the context of generic slow-roll thawing quintessence models. Defining $λ\equiv |V^{\prime}(ϕ_i)/V(ϕ_i)|$ and $K \equiv \sqrt{1 - 4V^{\prime \prime}(ϕ_i)/3V(ϕ_i)}$, where $ϕ_i$ is the initial value of $ϕ$, we find regions of parameter space consistent with both observational data and with the refined de Sitter conjecture, and we show that all such models satisfy the distance conjecture. We quantify the degree of fine-tuning on $λ$ needed to achieve these results.
We point out that the swampland conjectures, forbidding the presence of global symmetries and (meta-)stable de Sitter vacua within quantum gravity, pick up a dynamical axion for the electroweak SU(2) gauge theory as a natural candidate for the quintessence field. The potential energy of the electroweak axion provides an attractive candidate for the dark energy. We discuss constraints from the weak gravity conjecture, from the conjecture of no global symmetry, and from observations, which can be satisfied elegantly in a supersymmetric extension of the standard model.
The effective vacuum energy density contributed by the non-trivial contortion distribution and the bare vacuum energy density can be viewed as the energy density of the auxiliary quintessence field potential. We find that the negative bare vacuum energy density from string landscape leads to a monotonically decreasing quintessence potential while the positive one from swampland leads to the meta stable or stable de Sitter like potential. Moreover, the non-trivial Brans-Dicke like coupling between quintessence field and gravitation field is necessary in the latter case.
In this work we focus on the phase space singularities of interactive quintessence model in the presence of matter fluid. This model is related to swampland studies, that the outcomes affect all these Swampland related models with the same dynamical system. We shall form the dynamical system corresponding to the cosmological system, which is eventually autonomous, and by using the dominant balances technique we shall investigate the occurrence or not of finite-time singularities. Our results indicate that the dynamical system of the model may develop finite-time singularities, but these are no…
Multifield models with a curved field space have already been shown to be able to provide viable quintessence models for steep potentials that satisfy swampland bounds. The simplest dynamical systems of this type are obtained by coupling Einstein gravity to two scalar fields with a curved field space. In this paper we study the stability properties of the non-trivial fixed points of this dynamical system for a general functional dependence of the kinetic coupling function and the scalar potential. We find the existence of non-geodesic trajectories with a sharp turning rate in field space which…
We consider quintessence models within 4D effective descriptions of gravity coupled to two scalar fields. These theories are known to give rise to viable models of late-time cosmic acceleration without any need for flat potentials, and so they are potentially in agreement with the dS Swampland conjecture. In this paper we investigate the possibility of consistently embedding such constructions in string theory. We identify situations where the quintessence fields are either closed string universal moduli or non-universal moduli such as blow-up modes. We generically show that no trajectories co…
We point out that the recently proposed Swampland conjecture on the potential gradient can lead to isocurvature perturbations of dark energy, if the quintessence field acquires large quantum fluctuations during high-scale inflation preferred by the conjecture. Also, if the quintessence field is coupled to a dark sector that contains dark matter, isocurvature perturbation of dark matter is similarly induced. Both isocurvature perturbations can be suppressed if the quintessence potential allows a tracker solution in the early Universe. We find that a vector field of mass $\lesssim {\cal O}(1)$ m…
Reconstructing the slope of a nearly flat quintessence potential from cosmography
Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University（发展研究院）；Faculty of Natural Sciences, Duy Tan University（自然科学学院）；Centre for Space Research, North-West University（空间研究中心）；Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Cape Town（数学与应用数学系）；South African Astronomical Observatory（南非天文台）；Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University（物理与天文学系）
It has recently been conjectured that string theory does not admit de Sitter vacua, and that quintessence explains the current epoch of accelerated cosmic expansion. A proposed, key prediction of this scenario is time-varying couplings in the dark sector, induced by the evolving quintessence field. We note that cosmological models with varying couplings suffer from severe problems with quantum corrections, beyond those shared by all quintessence models. The vacuum energy depends on all masses and couplings of the theory, and even small variations of parameters can lead to overwhelmingly large …
We present a general model-independent approach to study the coupled dark energy and the string Swampland criteria. We show how the dark sector interaction is degenerated with the equation of state of dark energy in the context of the expansion of the Universe. With priors for either of them, the dynamics of dark energy and the dark sector interactions can be reconstructed together with the bounds of the Swampland criteria. Combining cosmic chronometers, baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO), and Type Ia supernovae our results suggest a mild $1 σ$ significance of dark sector interactions at low re…
We propose an alternative refined de Sitter conjecture. It is given by a natural condition on a combination of the first and second derivatives of the scalar potential. We derive our conjecture in the same weak coupling, semi-classical regime where the previous refined de Sitter conjecture was derived, using the same tools together with a few more assumptions that we discuss. We further test and constrain free parameters in our conjecture using data points of a classical type IIA supergravity setup. Interestingly, our conjecture easily accommodates slow-roll single field inflation with a conca…
In this recent Letter [1], we studied the implications of string Swampland conjectures for quintessence models of dark energy. A couple of days ago, a paper appeared [2] which refers to our work but misrepresents what we have done. Here, we set the record straight.
The de Sitter Swampland conjecture compels us to consider dark energy models where $λ(ϕ) \equiv |\nabla_ϕ V|/V$ is bounded below by a positive constant. Moreover, it has been argued for Quintessence models that the constant $λ$ scenario is the least constrained. Here we demonstrate that increasing $λ$ only exacerbates existing tension in the Hubble constant $H_0$. The identification of dark energy models that both evade observational bounds and alleviate $H_0$ tension constitutes a robust test for the Swampland program.
We discuss the prospects of measuring deviations of the dark energy equation of state from w=-1 by using the swampland conjectures to relate inflationary models to quintessence scenarios. This note is based on work done by the author with H. Murayama and C. Chiang arXiv:1811.01987.
Rolling with modular symmetry: quintessence and de Sitter in heterotic orbifolds
Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México（墨西哥国立自治大学物理研究所）；Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua（奇瓦瓦自治大学工程学院）；Centre for Quantum Fields and Gravity, Physics Department, Swansea University（斯旺西大学物理系量子场与引力中心）
The recently proposed de Sitter swampland conjecture excludes local extrema of a scalar potential with a positive energy density in a low energy effective theory. Under the conjecture, the observed dark energy cannot be explained by the cosmological constant. The local maximum of the Higgs potential at the symmetric point also contradicts with the conjecture. In order to make the Standard Model consistent with the conjecture, it has been proposed to introduce a quintessence field, $Q$, which couples to the cosmological constant and the local maximum of the Higgs potential. In this paper, we sh…
We revisit the phenomenology of quintessence models in light of the recently refined version of the de Sitter Swampland conjecture, which includes the possibility of unstable de Sitter critical points. We show that models of quintessence can evade previously derived lower bounds on $(1+w)$, albeit with very finely-tuned initial conditions. In the absence of such tuning or other rolling quintessence fields, a field with mass close to Hubble is required, which has a generic prediction for $(1+w)$. Slow-roll single field inflation models remain in tension. Other phenomenological constraints arisi…
In this Letter, we consider the model-independent reconstruction of the expansion and growth functions from the Pantheon supernova data. The method relies on developing the expansion function in terms of shifted Chebyshev polynomials and determining the coefficients of the polynomials by a maximum-likelihood fit to the data. Having obtained the expansion function in a model-independent way, we can then also determine the growth function without assuming a particular model. We then compare the results with the predictions of two classes of Dark Energy models, firstly a class of quintessence sca…
We present an Effective Field Theory based reconstruction of quintessence models of dark energy directly from cosmological data. We show that current cosmological data possess enough constraining power to test several quintessence model properties for redshifts $z\in [0,1.5]$ with no assumptions about the behavior of the scalar field potential. We use measurements of the cosmic microwave background, supernovae distances, and the clustering and lensing of galaxies to constrain the evolution of the dark energy equation of state, Swampland Conjectures, the shape of the scalar field reconstructed …
Swampland Conjectures have attracted quite some interest in the Cosmological Community. They have been shown to have wide ranging implications , like Constraints on Inflationary Models, Primordial Black Holes etc. to name a few. A particularly revealing insight on dark energy also shows that one can have the dark energy equation of state for a quintessence scenario to be signficantly different than -1 after one takes into account the refined dS conjecture. Another interesting issue with the swampland conjectures is that they have been shown to be incompatible with single field inflationary mod…
This paper uses the beta function formalism to extend the analysis of quintessence cosmological parameters to the logarithmic and exponential dark energy potentials. The previous paper (Thompson 2018) demonstrated the formalism using power and inverse power potentials. The essentially identical evolution of the Hubble parameter for all of the quintessence cases and LambdaCDM is attributed to the flatness of the quintessence dark energy potentials in the dark energy dominated era. The Hubble parameter is therefore incapable of discriminating between static and dynamic dark energy. Unlike the ot…
We investigate the extent to which quintessence models for dark energy are fine-tuned in the context of recent swampland conjectures. In particular, the issue is whether there is a double fine-tuning in which both $V$ and $|\nabla V|$ are fine-tuned, or whether there is only a single fine-tuning due to the relation $|\nabla V|\sim V/M_{pl}$ arising naturally. We find that indeed this relation arises naturally in simple string compactifications for some scalars, such as the dilaton and volume modulus, when treated classically. However, we find that quantum effects can spoil this natural relatio…
It has recently been suggested that "gravity is the weakest force" in any theory with a suitable UV completion within quantum gravity. One formulation of this statement is the scalar weak gravity conjecture, which states that gravity is weaker than the force originating from scalar fields. We study the scalar weak gravity conjecture in de Sitter space, and discuss its low-energy consequences in light of the experimental searches for fifth forces and violations of the equivalence principle. We point out that some versions of the scalar weak gravity conjecture forbid the existence of very light …
We revisit the cosmological dynamics of the cubic Galileon model in light of the recently proposed model-independent analyses of the Pantheon supernova data. At the background level, it is shown to be compatible with data and preferred over standard quintessence models. Furthermore, the model is shown to be consistent with the trans-Planckian censorship conjecture (as well as other Swampland conjectures). It is shown that for the given parametrization, the model fails to satisfy the bounds on the reconstructed growth index derived from the Pantheon data set at the level of linear~perturbations…
Constraining Cosmological Parameters with Viscous Modified Chaplygin Gas and Generalized Cosmic Chaplygin Gas Models in Horava-Lifshitz Gravity: Utilizing Late-time Datasets
Reconstructions of $f(\mathcal{P})$ and $f(\mathcal{Q})$ gravity models from $(m,n)$-type Barrow Holographic Dark Energy: Analysis and Observational Constraints
