March 3, 2026Physical review. D/Physical review. D.1 citationsOpen Access

Topological defects as effective dynamical dark energy

AAnonymousZhejiang University of Science and Technology CHChengcheng HanAsia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics BZBorui ZhangTsinghua University

Key Points

The potential contribution of domain walls improves the fit in cosmic data, highlighting new aspects of dark energy.
Statistical measures reveal a Δχ² value of -1.72 when including domain walls compared to standard models.
Observational analysis demonstrates a lack of support for cosmic strings, pointing towards domain walls as a significant factor.
Future cosmological data may uncover more about the viability of topological defects in explaining dark energy.

Abstract

In this work, we consider the possibility that the dynamical dark energy hinted at by recent Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument data may be mimicked by the effects of additional components in the universe, potentially arising from topological defects. We find that the data does not show a particular preference for the existence of cosmic strings. However, a domain wall contribution at the percent level can improve the fit, yielding a Δ χ 2 = − 1.72 and Δ DIC = − 0.94 compared to the lambda-cold dark matter model ( Λ CDM ). The improvement indicates that topological defects remain a viable and interesting extension to Λ CDM , meriting further investigation with future cosmological data.

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