The fate of a Universe driven by a linear potential

TL;DR

This paper investigates a scalar field model with a linear potential as a solution to the coincidence problem in cosmology, but finds it incompatible with observations when accounting for current acceleration and future collapse.

Contribution

It demonstrates the incompatibility of a linear potential scalar field with observational data in the context of vacuum energy sequestering mechanisms.

Findings

No observationally consistent solutions with scalar field driving acceleration and collapse.

Linear potential scalar field cannot simultaneously explain current acceleration and future collapse.

Highlights limitations of certain scalar field models in cosmological scenarios.

Abstract

We study the proposal to solve the coincidence problem in the non-local version of the vacuum energy sequestering mechanism by means of a scalar field in a linear potential. We show that there is no solution in the theory compatible with observations if one requires the scalar field to drive the present period of acceleration and the collapse.