Dark energy properties in DBI theory

Abstract

The Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) action from string theory provides several new classes of dark energy behavior beyond quintessence due to its relativistic kinematics. We constrain parameters of natural potentials and brane tensions with cosmological observations as well as showing how to design these functions for a desired expansion history. We enlarge the attractor solutions, including new ways of obtaining cosmological constant behavior, to the case of generalized DBI theory with multiple branes. An interesting novel signature of DBI attractors is that the sound speed is driven to zero, unlike for quintessence where it is the speed of light. © 2009 The American Physical Society.