arXiv subjects

Claes Uggla

Publications and source records attributed to Claes Uggla.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Quintessence: Quadratic potentials

Arguably one can use a canonical scalar field $\varphi$, minimally coupled to gravity, with quadratic potentials $V = \Lambda \pm \frac12 m^2\varphi^2$ to explore some general features of slow-roll and hilltop thawing quintessence, respectively. For each of these two potentials, and pressure-free matter, we introduce a regular unconstrained dynamical system on a compact state space, where the formulation for the hilltop case is new. Together with a derivation of monotonic functions in the two global state space settings, this enables us to obtain global results and to introduce figures that illustrate the global solution spaces of these models, in which we situate the observationally viable quintessence solutions.

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arXiv2025

Quintessence

Recent observations suggest that the accelerated expansion of the Universe at late times is caused by a temporally changing dark energy component, rather than the constant one in the standard $\Lambda$CDM scenario. In this context quintessence, i.e. a canonical scalar field minimally coupled to gravity, plays a prominent role. There are, however, three main types of quintessence models: thawing quintessence, scaling freezing quintessence, and tracking quintessence. Dynamical systems reformulations of the field equations for a broad set of scalar field potentials, including some new ones, allow us to use dynamical systems methods to derive global and asymptotic features, visualised in bounded state space pictures clearly illustrating the relationships and properties of the different types of quintessence, clarifying initial data issues, and yielding simple and accurate approximations.

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arXiv2024

Oscillatory spacelike singularities: The Bianchi type $\mathrm{VI}_{-1/9}$ vacuum models

The Bianchi type $\mathrm{VI}_{-1/9}$, $\mathrm{VIII}$ and $\mathrm{IX}$ vacuum models all have 4-dimensional Hubble-normalized state spaces and are expected to have a generic initial oscillatory singularity, but the invariant boundary sets responsible for the oscillations are much more complicated for type $\mathrm{VI}_{-1/9}$ than those of type $\mathrm{VIII}$ and $\mathrm{IX}$. For the first time, we explicitly solve the equations on these type $\mathrm{VI}_{-1/9}$ boundary sets and also introduce a new graph representation of the associated network of heteroclinic chains (i.e., sequences of solutions describing the oscillations). In particular, we give examples of networks of cyclic heteroclinic chains and show that only some of these cyclic heteroclinic chains are asymptotically relevant.

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arXiv2024

New simple and accurate quintessence approximations

We derive new approximations for quintessence solutions that are simpler and an order of magnitude more accurate than anything available in the literature, which from an observational perspective \emph{makes numerical calculations superfluous}. For example, our tracking quintessence approximation yields $\sim 0.1\%$ maximum relative errors of $H(z)/H_0$ and $\Omega_\mathrm{m}(z)$ for the observationally viable inverse power law scalar field potentials, and similarly for viable thawing quintessence models using two slow-roll parameters. The approximations are trivially computed from the scalar field potential and as an application we give \emph{analytic} expressions for the CPL parameters calculated from an arbitrary scalar field potential for thawing and tracking quintessence models.

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arXiv2024

Quintessential $α$-attractor inflation: A dynamical systems analysis

The equations for quintessential $α$-attractor inflation with a single scalar field, radiation and matter in a spatially flat FLRW spacetime are recast into a regular dynamical system on a compact state space. This enables a complete description of the solution space of these models. The inflationary attractor solution is shown to correspond to the unstable center manifold of a de Sitter fixed point, and we describe connections between slow-roll and dynamical systems approximations for this solution, including Padé approximants. We also introduce a new method for systematically obtaining initial data for quintessence evolution by using dynamical systems properties; in particular, this method exploits that there exists a radiation dominated line of fixed points with an unstable quintessence attractor submanifold, which plays a role that is reminiscent of that of the inflationary attractor solution for inflation.

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arXiv2024

Tracking Quintessence

Tracking quintessence, in a spatially flat and isotropic space-time with a minimally coupled canonical scalar field and an asymptotically inverse power-law potential $V(φ)\proptoφ^{-p}$, $p>0$, as $φ\rightarrow0$, is investigated. This is done by introducing a new three-dimensional \emph{regular} dynamical system, which enables a rigorous explanation of the tracking feature: 1) The dynamical system has a tracker fixed point $\mathrm{T}$ with a two-dimensional stable manifold that pushes an open set of nearby solutions toward a single tracker solution originating from $\mathrm{T}$. 2) All solutions, including the tracker solution and the solutions that track/shadow it, end at a common future attractor fixed point that depends on the potential. Thus, the open set of solutions that shadow the tracker solution share its properties during the tracking quintessence epoch. We also discuss similarities and differences of underlying mechanisms for tracking, thawing and scaling freezing quintessence, and, moreover, we illustrate with state space pictures that all of these types of quintessence exist simultaneously for certain potentials.

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arXiv2023

Bifurcations and Chaos in Hořava-Lifshitz Cosmology

The nature of generic spacelike singularities in general relativity is connected with first principles, notably Lorentzian causal structure, scale invariance and general covariance. To bring a new perspective on how these principles affect generic spacelike singularities, we consider the initial singularity in spatially homogeneous Bianchi type VIII and IX vacuum models in Hořava-Lifshitz gravity, where relativistic first principles are replaced with anisotropic scalings of Lifshitz type. Within this class of models, General Relativity is shown to be a bifurcation where chaos becomes generic. To describe the chaotic features of generic singularities in Hořava-Lifshitz cosmology, we introduce symbolic dynamics within Cantor sets and iterated function systems.

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arXiv2022

Quintessence from a state space perspective

We use dynamical systems methods to study quintessence models in a spatially flat and isotropic spacetime with matter and a scalar field with potentials for which $λ(φ)=-V_{,φ}/V$ is bounded, thereby going beyond the exponential potential for which $λ(φ)$ is constant. The scalar field equation of state parameter $w_φ$ plays a central role when comparing quintessence models with observations, but with the dynamical systems used to date $w_φ$ is an indeterminate, discontinuous, function on the state space in the asymptotically matter dominated regime. Our first main result is the introduction of new variables that lead to a \emph{regular} dynamical system on a \emph{bounded} three-dimensional state space on which $w_φ$ is a \emph{regular} function. The solution trajectories in the state space then provide a visualization of different types of quintessence evolution, and how initial conditions affect the transition between the matter and scalar field dominated epochs; this is complemented by graphs $w_φ(N)$, where $N$ is the $e$-fold time, which enables characterizing different types of quintessence evolution.

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arXiv2022

Cosmological global dynamical systems analysis

We consider a dynamical systems formulation for models with an exponential scalar field and matter with a linear equation of state in a spatially flat and isotropic spacetime. In contrast to earlier work, which only considered linear hyperbolic fixed point analysis, we do a center manifold analysis of the non-hyperbolic fixed points associated with bifurcations. More importantly though, we construct monotonic functions and a Dulac function. Together with the complete local fixed point analysis this leads to proofs that describe the entire global dynamics of these models, thereby complementing previous local results in the literature.

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arXiv2020

Dynamical systems in perturbative scalar field cosmology

We derive a new \emph{regular} dynamical system on a 3-dimensional \emph{compact} state space describing linear scalar perturbations of spatially flat Robertson-Walker geometries for relativistic models with a minimally coupled scalar field with an exponential potential. This enables us to construct the global solution space, illustrated with figures, where known solutions are shown to reside on special invariant sets. We also use our dynamical systems approach to obtain new results about the comoving and uniform density curvature perturbations. Finally we show how to extend our approach to more general scalar field potentials. This leads to state spaces where the state space of the models with an exponential potential appears as invariant boundary sets, thereby illustrating their role as building blocks in a hierarchy of increasingly complex cosmological models.

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arXiv2019

Perturbations of the Lambda-CDM model in a dynamical systems perspective

The observational success and simplicity of the $Λ$CDM model, and the explicit analytic perturbations thereof, set the standard for any alternative cosmology. It therefore serves as a comparison ground and as a test case for methods which can be extended and applied to other cosmological models. In this paper we introduce dynamical systems and methods to describe linear scalar and tensor perturbations of the $Λ$CDM model, which serve as pedagogical examples that show the global illustrative powers of dynamical systems in the context of cosmological perturbations. We also study the asymptotic properties of the shear and Weyl tensors and discuss the validity of the perturbations as approximations to the Einstein field equations. Furthermore, we give a new approximation for the linear growth rate, $f(z) = \frac{d\ln δ}{d\ln a} = Ω^{\frac{6}{11}}_m - \frac{1}{70}(1-Ω_m)^{\frac{5}{2}}$, where $z$ is the cosmological redshift, $Ω_m=Ω_m(z)$, while $a$ is the background scale factor, and show that it is much more accurate than the previous ones in the literature.

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arXiv2019

The general solution at large scale for second order perturbations in a scalar field dominated universe

In this paper we consider second order perturbations of a flat Friedmann-Lemaître universe whose stress-energy content is a single minimally coupled scalar field with an arbitrary potential. We derive the general solution of the perturbed Einstein equations in explicit form for this class of models when the perturbations are in the super-horizon regime. As a by-product we obtain a new conserved quantity for long wavelength perturbations of a single scalar field at second order.

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arXiv2019

Second order cosmological perturbations: new conserved quantities and the general solution at super-horizon scale

The study of long wavelength scalar perturbations, in particular the existence of conserved quantities when the perturbations are adiabatic, plays an important role in e.g. inflationary cosmology. In this paper we present some new conserved quantities at second order and relate them to the curvature perturbation in the uniform density gauge, $ζ$, and the comoving curvature perturbation, ${\cal R}$. We also, for the first time, derive the general solution of the perturbed Einstein equations at second order, which thereby contains both growing and decaying modes, for adiabatic long wavelength perturbations for a stress-energy tensor with zero anisotropic stresses and zero heat flux. The derivation uses the total matter gauge, but results are subsequently translated to the uniform curvature and Poisson (longitudinal, zero shear) gauges.

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arXiv2019

Second order cosmological perturbations: simplified gauge change formulas

In this paper we present a new formulation of the change of gauge formulas in second order cosmological perturbation theory which unifies and simplifies known results. Our approach is based on defining new second order scalar perturbation variables by adding a multiple of the square of the corresponding first order variables to each second order variable. A bonus is that these new perturbation variables are of broader significance in that they also simplify the analysis of second order scalar perturbations in the super-horizon regime in a number of ways, and lead to new conserved quantities.

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arXiv2019

Dynamics of cosmological perturbations at first and second order

In this paper we give five gauge-invariant systems of governing equations for first and second order scalar perturbations of flat Friedmann-Lemaître universes that are minimal in the sense that they contain no redundant equations or variables. We normalize the variables so that they are dimensionless, which leads to systems of equations that are simple and ready-to-use. We compare the properties and utility of the different systems. For example, they serve as a starting point for finding explicit solutions for two benchmark problems in cosmological perturbation theory at second order: adiabatic perturbations in the super-horizon regime (the long wavelength limit) and perturbations of $Λ$CDM universes. However, our framework has much wider applicability and serves as a reference for future work in the field.

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arXiv2017

Inflationary $α$-attractor cosmology: A global dynamical systems perspective

We study flat FLRW $α$-attractor $\mathrm{E}$- and $\mathrm{T}$-models by introducing a dynamical systems framework that yields regularized unconstrained field equations on two-dimensional compact state spaces. This results in both illustrative figures and a complete description of the entire solution spaces of these models, including asymptotics. In particular, it is shown that observational viability, which requires a sufficient number of $e$-folds, is associated with a solution given by a one-dimensional center manifold of a past asymptotic de Sitter state, where the center manifold structure also explains why nearby solutions are attracted to this `inflationary attractor solution.' A center manifold expansion yields a description of the inflationary regime with arbitrary analytic accuracy, where the slow-roll approximation asymptotically describes the tangency condition of the center manifold at the asymptotic de Sitter state.

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arXiv2016

On dynamical systems approaches and methods in $f(R)$ cosmology

We discuss dynamical systems approaches and methods applied to flat Robertson-Walker models in $f(R)$-gravity. We argue that a complete description of the solution space of a model requires a global state space analysis that motivates globally covering state space adapted variables. This is shown explicitly by an illustrative example, $f(R) = R + αR^2$, $α> 0$, for which we introduce new regular dynamical systems on global compactly extended state spaces for the Jordan and Einstein frames. This example also allows us to illustrate several local and global dynamical systems techniques involving, e.g., blow ups of nilpotent fixed points, center manifold analysis, averaging, and use of monotone functions. As a result of applying dynamical systems methods to globally state space adapted dynamical systems formulations, we obtain pictures of the entire solution spaces in both the Jordan and the Einstein frames. This shows, e.g., that due to the domain of the conformal transformation between the Jordan and Einstein frames, not all the solutions in the Jordan frame are completely contained in the Einstein frame. We also make comparisons with previous dynamical systems approaches to $f(R)$ cosmology and discuss their advantages and disadvantages.

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arXiv2015

Scalar field deformations of Lambda-CDM cosmology

This paper treats nonrelativistic matter and a scalar field $ϕ$ with a monotonically decreasing potential minimally coupled to gravity in flat Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker cosmology. The field equations are reformulated as a three-dimensional dynamical system on an extended compact state space, complemented with cosmographic diagrams. A dynamical systems analysis provides global dynamical results describing possible asymptotic behavior. It is shown that one should impose \emph{global and asymptotic} bounds on $λ=-V^{-1}\,dV/dϕ$ to obtain viable cosmological models that continuously deform $Λ$CDM cosmology. In particular we introduce a regularized inverse power-law potential as a simple specific example.

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