Beyond Two Dark Energy Parameters

• Published in: arXiv.org
• Main Authors: Sarkar, Devdeep, Sullivan, Scott, Joudaki, Shahab, Amblard, Alexandre, Holz, Daniel E, Cooray, Asantha
• Format: Paper Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 14.06.2008
• Subjects: Dark energy; Equations of state; Parameters; Physics - Astrophysics of Galaxies; Physics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics; Physics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics; Physics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena; Physics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics; Physics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics; Red shift
• ISSN: 2331-8422
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.0709.1150

Our ignorance of the dark energy is generally described by a two-parameter equation of state. In these approaches a particular {\it ad hoc} functional form is assumed, and only two independent parameters are incorporated. We propose a model-independent, multi-parameter approach to fitting the dark energy, and show that next-generation surveys will constrain the equation of state in three or more independent redshift bins to better than 10%. Future knowledge of the dark energy will surpass two numbers (e.g., [\(w_0\),\(w_1\)] or [\(w_0\),\(w_a\)]), and we propose a more flexible approach to the analysis of present and future data.