Exponential gravity

Abstract

We investigate a f(R) modification of gravity that is exponential in the Ricci scalar R to explain cosmic acceleration. The steepness of this dependence provides extra freedom to satisfy solar system and other curvature regime constraints. With a parameter to alleviate the usual fine-tuning of having the modification strengthen near the present, the total number of parameters is only one more than ΛCDM. The resulting class of solutions asymptotes to w=-1 but has no cosmological constant. We calculate the dynamics in detail, examine the effect on the matter power spectrum, and provide a simple fitting form relating the two. © 2009 The American Physical Society.