Probing gravitation, dark energy, and acceleration

The acceleration of the expansion of the universe arises from unknown physical processes involving either new fields in high energy physics or modifications of gravitation theory. It is crucial for our understanding to characterize the properties of the dark energy or gravity through cosmological observations and compare and distinguish between them. In fact, close consistencies exist between a dark energy equation of state function w(z) and changes to the framework of the Friedmann cosmological equations as well as direct spacetime geometry quantities involving the acceleration, such as "geometric dark energy" from the Ricci scalar. We investigate these interrelationships, including for the case of superacceleration or phantom energy where the fate of the universe may be more gentle than the Big Rip.