Cosmological solutions from models with unified dark energy and dark matter and with inflaton field

TL;DR

This paper tests a novel cosmological model with unified dark energy and dark matter using supernova data, and explores how an inflaton field can explain various universe evolution stages.

Contribution

It introduces a model with non-Riemannian volume forms that unifies dark energy and dark matter and incorporates an inflaton field to explain inflation and acceleration.

Findings

Model fits supernova data well

Inflaton field reproduces inflation and acceleration

Universe evolution scenarios vary with model parameters

Abstract

Recently, few cosmological models with additional non-Riemannian volume form(s) have been proposed. In this article we use Supernovae type Ia experimental data to test one of these models which provides a unified description of both dark energy via dynamically generated cosmological constant and dark matter as a "dust" fluid due to a hidden nonlinear Noether symmetry. It turns out that the model allows various scenarios of the future Universe evolution and in the same time perfectly fits contemporary observational data. Further, we investigate the influence of an additional inflaton field with a step like potential. With its help we can reproduce the Universe inflation epoch, matter dominated epoch and present accelerating expansion in a seamless way. Interesting feature is that inflaton undergoes a finite change during its evolution. It can be speculated that the inflaton asymptotic value is connected to the vacuum expectation value of the Higgs field.