Quintessence scalar field and cosmological constant: dynamics of a multi-component dark energy model

Abstract

This study explores the dynamics and phase-space behavior of a multi-component dark energy model, where the dark sector consists of a minimally coupled canonical scalar field and the cosmological constant, using a dynamical system analysis setup for various types of potential for which a general parameterization of the scalar field potentials has been considered. Several fixed points with different cosmological behaviors have been identified. A detailed stability analysis has been done and possible late-time attractors have been found. For this multi-component dark energy model, the late-time attractors are either fully dominated by the cosmological constant or represent a scenario where a combination of the scalar field and the cosmological constant dominates the universe. In this type of model, there is a possibility that the scalar field can become dynamical quite early compared to the standard era of dark energy domination. However, our analysis indicates that this early time contribution of the scalar field occurs deep in the matter-dominated era, not before the recombination era.