Evolution of large-scale perturbations in quintessence models

Abstract

We carry out a comprehensive study of the dynamics of large-scale perturbations in quintessence scenarios. We model the contents of the Universe by a perfect fluid with equation of state w_f and a scalar field Q with potential V(Q). We are able to reduce the perturbation equations to a system of four first-order equations. During each of the five main regimes of quintessence field behaviour, these equations have constant coefficients, enabling analytic solution of the perturbation evolution by eigenvector decomposition. We determine these solutions and discuss their main properties.

5 pages RevTeX4 file with two figures incorporated