On the possibility of braneworld quintessential inflation

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether a single scalar field can drive both early universe inflation and late-time acceleration within a five-dimensional braneworld framework, but finds current data restrict this possibility.

Contribution

It explores the feasibility of quintessential inflation in braneworld cosmology using various models and observational data, concluding such scenarios are currently not viable.

Findings

Quintessential inflation is not achievable with studied potentials given current data.

Braneworld cosmology allows steeper potentials for inflation.

Current observational constraints are too restrictive for this unified scenario.

Abstract

We examine the possibility of achieving quintessential inflation, where the same field serves as both inflaton and quintessence, in the context of a five-dimensional braneworld. Braneworld cosmology provides an appropriate environment as it permits inflation with much steeper potentials than the conventional scenario, which is favourable to a late-time quintessence. We explore a wide space of models, together with contemporary observational data, to determine in which contexts such a picture is possible. We find that such a scenario, although attractive, is in fact impossible to achieve for the potentials studied due to the restrictiveness of current data.