A Dynamical Scalar Field Model for Dark Energy: Addressing the Hubble Tension and Cosmic Evolution

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Main Authors: Kottur, Arpit, Mahajan, Jui, Dabhade, Raka
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Kottur, Arpit
Mahajan, Jui
Dabhade, Raka
author_facet Kottur, Arpit
Mahajan, Jui
Dabhade, Raka
contents We propose a dynamical dark energy model based on a canonical scalar field with a hybrid potential of the form $V(ϕ) = V_{0}e^{-λϕ} + V_{1}ϕ^{n}$. We constrain the model's 11-dimensional parameter space using a comprehensive combination of cosmological data, including the Planck 2018 Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) power spectra, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO), the Pantheon+ supernova sample, SH0ES and the matter power spectrum from SDSS. The model provides an excellent fit to the data, with a reduced chi-squared of $χ^2_{\text{red}} = 0.989$, while successfully alleviating the Hubble constant tension. Our analysis yields a Hubble constant of $H_0 \approx 72.820$ km/s/Mpc, reducing the discrepancy between early and late-universe measurements. We find that the data favors a 'thawing' quintessence scenario, characterized by a potential slope parameter $λ\approx 0.056$. This small but non-zero slope drives a late-time deviation from $Λ$CDM ($w(z=0) \approx -0.85$) while preserving the standard expansion history at high redshifts. A model comparison using the Bayesian Information Criterion finds that the standard $Λ$CDM model is still slightly preferred ($Δ\text{BIC} = 2.178$) due to its fewer parameters. Nevertheless, our results demonstrate that this hybrid potential model is a compelling, physically motivated alternative to a cosmological constant.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_10317
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Dynamical Scalar Field Model for Dark Energy: Addressing the Hubble Tension and Cosmic Evolution
Kottur, Arpit
Mahajan, Jui
Dabhade, Raka
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
We propose a dynamical dark energy model based on a canonical scalar field with a hybrid potential of the form $V(ϕ) = V_{0}e^{-λϕ} + V_{1}ϕ^{n}$. We constrain the model's 11-dimensional parameter space using a comprehensive combination of cosmological data, including the Planck 2018 Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) power spectra, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO), the Pantheon+ supernova sample, SH0ES and the matter power spectrum from SDSS. The model provides an excellent fit to the data, with a reduced chi-squared of $χ^2_{\text{red}} = 0.989$, while successfully alleviating the Hubble constant tension. Our analysis yields a Hubble constant of $H_0 \approx 72.820$ km/s/Mpc, reducing the discrepancy between early and late-universe measurements. We find that the data favors a 'thawing' quintessence scenario, characterized by a potential slope parameter $λ\approx 0.056$. This small but non-zero slope drives a late-time deviation from $Λ$CDM ($w(z=0) \approx -0.85$) while preserving the standard expansion history at high redshifts. A model comparison using the Bayesian Information Criterion finds that the standard $Λ$CDM model is still slightly preferred ($Δ\text{BIC} = 2.178$) due to its fewer parameters. Nevertheless, our results demonstrate that this hybrid potential model is a compelling, physically motivated alternative to a cosmological constant.
title A Dynamical Scalar Field Model for Dark Energy: Addressing the Hubble Tension and Cosmic Evolution
topic Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.10317