Quintessence (physics) - Scalar Field

Scalar Field

Quintessence is a scalar field whose equation of state wq, defined as the ratio of its pressure pq and its density q, is given by the potential energy and a kinetic term:

.

Hence, Quintessence is dynamic, and generally has a density and equation of state that varies with time. By contrast, a Cosmological Constant is static, with a fixed energy density and wq = −1.

Read more about this topic:  Quintessence (physics)

Famous quotes containing the word field:

    My business is stanching blood and feeding fainting men; my post the open field between the bullet and the hospital. I sometimes discuss the application of a compress or a wisp of hay under a broken limb, but not the bearing and merits of a political movement. I make gruel—not speeches; I write letters home for wounded soldiers, not political addresses.
    Clara Barton (1821–1912)