Scalar perturbations and the possible self-destruction of the phantom menace

Abstract

Some analysis of the supernovae type Ia observational data seems to indicate that the Universe today is dominated by a phantom field, for which all energy conditions are violated. Such phantom field may imply a singularity in a future finite time, called big rip. Studying the evolution of scalar perturbations for such a field, we show that if the pressure is negative enough, the Universe can become highly inhomogeneous and this phantom menace may be avoided.

Latex file, 5 pages