Superconducting dark energy

TL;DR

This paper proposes a superconducting dark energy model inspired by superconductor physics, involving a scalar-vector-tensor gravitational framework with spontaneous symmetry breaking, leading to an exponentially accelerating universe and matter creation effects.

Contribution

It introduces a novel gauge invariant electromagnetic dark energy model based on superconductor analogy, with non-minimal coupling and thermodynamic interpretation of matter creation.

Findings

Universe evolves to an exponential de Sitter phase.

Model predicts matter creation and entropy increase.

Cosmological dynamics depend on electromagnetic potential choices.

Abstract

Based on the analogy with superconductor physics we consider a scalar-vector-tensor gravitational model, in which the dark energy action is described by a gauge invariant electromagnetic type functional. By assuming that the ground state of the dark energy is in a form of a condensate with the U(1) symmetry spontaneously broken, the gauge invariant electromagnetic dark energy can be described in terms of the combination of a vector and of a scalar field (corresponding to the Goldstone boson), respectively. The gravitational field equations are obtained by also assuming the possibility of a non-minimal coupling between the cosmological mass current and the superconducting dark energy. The cosmological implications of the dark energy model are investigated for a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker homogeneous and isotropic geometry for two particular choices of the electromagnetic type potential, corresponding to a pure electric type field, and to a pure magnetic field, respectively. The time evolution of the scale factor, matter energy density and deceleration parameter are obtained for both cases, and it is shown that in the presence of the superconducting dark energy the Universe ends its evolution in an exponentially accelerating vacuum de Sitter state. By using the formalism of the irreversible thermodynamic processes for open systems we interpret the generalized conservation equations in the superconducting dark energy model as describing matter creation. The particle production rates, the creation pressure and the entropy evolution are explicitly obtained.