Cosmology with non-minimal derivative couplings: perturbation analysis and observational constraints
- Department of Physics, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504-4210 (United States)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States)
- Physics Division, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Zografou Campus, Athens (Greece)
- Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, P.O. Box 918-3, Beijing 100049 (China)
We perform a combined perturbation and observational investigation of the scenario of non-minimal derivative coupling between a scalar field and curvature. First we extract the necessary condition that ensures the absence of instabilities, which is fulfilled more sufficiently for smaller coupling values. Then using Type Ia Supernovae (SNIa), Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO), and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) observations, we show that, contrary to its significant effects on inflation, the non-minimal derivative coupling term has a negligible effect on the universe acceleration, since it is driven solely by the usual scalar-field potential. Therefore, the scenario can provide a unified picture of early and late time cosmology, with the non-minimal derivative coupling term responsible for inflation, and the usual potential responsible for late-time acceleration. Additionally, the fact that the necessary coupling term does not need to be large, improves the model behavior against instabilities.
- OSTI ID:
- 22369895
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Vol. 2013, Issue 11; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1475-7516
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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