Dynamical analysis for a scalar-tensor model with Gauss-Bonnet and non-minimal couplings

Eur Phys J C Part Fields. 2017;77(10):679. doi: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-017-5262-2. Epub 2017 Oct 13.

Abstract

We study the autonomous system for a scalar-tensor model of dark energy with Gauss-Bonnet and non-minimal couplings. The critical points describe important stable asymptotic scenarios including quintessence, phantom and de Sitter attractor solutions. Two functional forms for the coupling functions and the scalar potential are considered: power-law and exponential functions of the scalar field. For the exponential functions the existence of stable quintessence, phantom or de Sitter solutions, allows for an asymptotic behavior where the effective Newtonian coupling becomes constant. The phantom solutions could be realized without appealing to ghost degrees of freedom. Transient inflationary and radiation-dominated phases can also be described.