Scale factor duality in quintessence models ?

TL;DR

This paper investigates the presence of scale factor duality in quintessence models, revealing its limited applicability and exploring its potential to connect pre- and post-Big Bang phases, which could address singularity issues.

Contribution

It identifies specific quintessence potentials compatible with scale factor duality and demonstrates how duality transformations can connect different cosmological phases.

Findings

Duality exists only for select potentials.

Potential enables smooth transition between pre- and post-Big Bang.

Duality may help resolve cosmological singularities.

Abstract

We consider several kinds of quintessence models in the framework of scale factor duality. We show that this symmetry exists only for a very small number of quintessence potentials. We then apply the duality transformations found to several analytical solutions. It turns out that, in some cases, the presence of the potential allows a smooth connection between the pre- and the post-Big Bang phases. This may be a first step toward the resolution of the singularity problem.