Constraining the cosmological model of modified $f(Q)$ gravity: Phantom dark energy and observational insights
Despite the significant accomplishments of general relativity, numerous unresolved issues persist in our understanding of the cosmos. One of the most perplexing challenges is the ongoing accelerated expansion of the Universe, which continues to elude a complete explanation. Consequently, scientists have proposed various alternative theories to GR in pursuit of a deeper understanding. In our analysis, we delve into the recently proposed modified $f(Q)$ gravity, where $Q$ represents the non-metricity scalar responsible for gravitational effects. Specifically, we investigate a cosmological model characterized by the functional form $f(Q) = Q+\alpha Q^n$, where $\alpha$ (with $\alpha \neq 0$) and $n$ serve as free parameters. Utilizing this functional form, we construct our Hubble rate, incorporating a specific equation of state to describe the cosmic fluid. Furthermore, we leverage a dataset consisting of 31 data points from Hubble measurements and an additional 1048 data points from the Pantheon dataset. These data serve as crucial constraints for our model parameters, and we employ the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method to explore the parameter space and derive meaningful results. With our parameter values constrained, our analysis yields several noteworthy findings. The deceleration parameter suggests a recent accelerated phase in the cosmic expansion. In addition, the EoS parameter paints a portrait of dark energy exhibiting phantom-like characteristics. Furthermore, we delve into the application of cosmological diagnostic tools, specifically the statefinder and the $Om(z)$ diagnostics. Both of these tools align with our previous conclusions, confirming the phantom-like behavior exhibited by our cosmological model. These results collectively contribute to our understanding of the dynamic interplay between gravity, dark energy, and the expanding cosmos.