Acceleration field of a universe modeled as a mixture of scalar and matter fields (Q701977)

The paper under review demonstrates that the model of a homogeneous, isotropic and spatially flat universe consisting of a mixture of a scalar field and a matter field can simulate the three epochs of the universe related to its acceleration field, namely (i) an inflationary epoch with a positive acceleration followed by a decrease of the acceleration field towards zero, (ii) a past decelerated epoch where the acceleration field decreases to a maximum negative value followed by an increase towards zero, and (iii) a present accelerated epoch [\textit{W. Rindler}, Relativity, Special, General and Cosmological. Oxford University Press (2001; Zbl 0981.83001); \textit{B. Schutz}, Gravity from the Ground Up. Cambridge University Press (2003)]. For the energy densities there are also three distinct epochs which start with a scalar field dominated epoch followed by a matter field dominated epoch and returning to a scalar field dominated epoch. The scalar field is supposed to interact only with itself and to be minimally coupled with the gravitational field, whereas the particles are created at the expense of the gravitational energy through an irreversible process. The method of proof is based on a system of three coupled ordinary differential equations for the scalar, acceleration and non-equilibrium pressure [\textit{N. Straumann}, On the cosmological constant problem and the astronomical evidence for a homogeneous energy density with negative pressure. Poincaré Seminar 2002, 7--51 (2003)]. A solution can be determined once (i) a potential density of the inflation field is chosen, (ii) the initial conditions are adjusted, and (iii) the parameter of the irreversible process of particle production has been selected. Since the scalar field potential does not require a minimum about which the inflaton will oscillate and decay, an exponential density can be interpreted as the vacuum energy. Finally, the irreversible processes of particle production are related to the non-equilibrium pressure with an evolution having its origin in thermodynamics.