Transient accelerating scalar models with exponential potentials

Abstract

We study a known class of scalar dark energy models in which the potential has an exponential term and the current accelerating era is transient. We find that, although a decelerating era will return in the future, when extrapolating the model back to earlier stages (z ≳ 4), scalar dark energy becomes dominant over matter. So these models do not have the desired tracking behavior, and the predicted transient period of acceleration cannot be adopted into the standard scenario of the Big Bang cosmology. When couplings between the scalar field and matter are introduced, the models still have the same problem; only the time when deceleration returns will be varied. To achieve re-deceleration, one has to turn to alternative models that are consistent with the standard Big Bang scenario.