Cosmological perturbations in a generalised axion-like dark energy model

Abstract

We analyse the cosmological evolution of a generalised axion-like field that drives the late-time acceleration of the Universe. This model can exhibit tracking behaviour, which alleviates the coincidence problem. The cosmological perturbations are carried within a multi-fluid approach where the scalar field is described by a non-adiabatic fluid, i.e., one whose speed of sound in the rest frame differs from the adiabatic one. The cosmological perturbations are solved since the radiation-dominated epoch, imposing initial adiabatic conditions for matter, radiation and the dark energy component, for modes well outside the Hubble horizon in the past. We analyse the homogeneous curvature perturbation, gravitational potential and dark energy perturbations in this model, as well as the matter power spectrum and fσ8. We discuss which parameters of the model are more favoured observationally.

15 pages, 5 figures, RevTex 4-2. References updated. Version accepted for publication in Physics of the Dark Universe