Lodha: Understanding Dark Energy using DESI DR2 BAO measurements / Pontzen: TBD

Speaker: Kushal Lodha (KASI) / Andrew Pontzen (Durham University) In Person and zoom

Zoom info: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/98604058568

Lodha: I will discuss our latest results from the Dark Energy supporting paper of DESI DR2 BAO. Using a variety of parametric and non-parametric methods, our results indicate that extending the standard LCDM model with a two-parameter w(z) sufficiently captures trends in the current data.  We examine three dark energy classes with distinct dynamics, including quintessence scenarios satisfying $w \geq -1$, to explore what underlying physics can explain such deviations. The current data indicate a clear preference for models that feature a phantom crossing; although alternatives lacking this feature are disfavored, they cannot yet be ruled out. Our analysis confirms that the evidence for dynamical dark energy, particularly at low redshift ($z \lesssim 0.3$), is robust and stable under different modeling choices.