Unification of cosmological scalar fields

TL;DR

This paper proposes a unified model where a single complex scalar field's real and imaginary parts drive early inflation and late acceleration of the universe, protected by an SO(1,1) symmetry, enabling successful potential construction.

Contribution

It introduces a novel unification of inflaton and phantom fields through a complex scalar with SO(1,1) symmetry, providing a new framework for cosmological scalar fields.

Findings

The model unifies early and late universe acceleration with a single complex scalar.

It demonstrates a matter-phantom duality transforming solutions.

The symmetry allows for successful potential construction.

Abstract

We present a model where early inflation and late accelerating expansion of the Universe are driven by the real and imaginary parts of a single complex scalar field, which we identified as inflaton and phantom field, respectively. This inflaton-phantom unification is protected by an internal SO(1,1) symmetry, with the two cosmological scalars appearing as the degrees of freedom of a sole fundamental representation. The unification symmetry allows to build successful potentials. We observe that our theory provides a matter-phantom duality, which transforms scalar matter cosmological solutions into phantom solutions and vice versa. We also suggest that a complete unification of all scalar fields of cosmological interest is yet possible under a similar footing.