Dark energy constraints in light of theoretical priors

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Shah, Neel, Koyama, Kazuya, Noller, Johannes
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Shah, Neel
Koyama, Kazuya
Noller, Johannes
author_facet Shah, Neel
Koyama, Kazuya
Noller, Johannes
contents In order to derive model-independent observational bounds on dark energy/modified gravity theories, a typical approach is to constrain parametrised models intended to capture the space of dark energy theories. Here we investigate in detail the effect that the nature of these parametrisations can have, finding significant effects on the resulting cosmological dark energy constraints. In order to observationally distinguish well-motivated and physical parametrisations from unphysical ones, it is crucial to understand the theoretical priors that physical parametrisations place on the phenomenology of dark energy. To this end we discuss a range of theoretical priors that can be imposed on general dark energy parametrisations, and their effect on the constraints on the phenomenology of dynamical dark energy. More specifically, we investigate both the phenomenological $\{μ,Σ\}$ parametrisation as well as effective field theory (EFT) inspired approaches to model dark energy interactions. We compare the constraints obtained in both approaches for different phenomenological and theory-informed time-dependences for the underlying functional degrees of freedom, discuss the effects of priors derived from gravitational wave physics, and investigate the interplay between constraints on parameters constraining only the background evolution vs. parameters controlling linear perturbations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_19450
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Dark energy constraints in light of theoretical priors
Shah, Neel
Koyama, Kazuya
Noller, Johannes
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Theory
In order to derive model-independent observational bounds on dark energy/modified gravity theories, a typical approach is to constrain parametrised models intended to capture the space of dark energy theories. Here we investigate in detail the effect that the nature of these parametrisations can have, finding significant effects on the resulting cosmological dark energy constraints. In order to observationally distinguish well-motivated and physical parametrisations from unphysical ones, it is crucial to understand the theoretical priors that physical parametrisations place on the phenomenology of dark energy. To this end we discuss a range of theoretical priors that can be imposed on general dark energy parametrisations, and their effect on the constraints on the phenomenology of dynamical dark energy. More specifically, we investigate both the phenomenological $\{μ,Σ\}$ parametrisation as well as effective field theory (EFT) inspired approaches to model dark energy interactions. We compare the constraints obtained in both approaches for different phenomenological and theory-informed time-dependences for the underlying functional degrees of freedom, discuss the effects of priors derived from gravitational wave physics, and investigate the interplay between constraints on parameters constraining only the background evolution vs. parameters controlling linear perturbations.
title Dark energy constraints in light of theoretical priors
topic Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.19450