Five-dimensional Brans-Dicke theory and cosmic acceleration

Abstract

We consider a 5-dimensional scalar-tensor theory which is a direct generalization of the original 4-dimensional Brans-Dicke theory to five dimensions. By assuming that there is a hypersurface-orthogonal spacelike Killing vector field in the underlying 5-dimensional spacetime, the theory is reduced to a 4-dimensional theory where the 4-metric is coupled with two scalar fields. The cosmological implication of this reduced theory is then studied in the Robertson-Walker model. It turns out that the two scalar fields may account naturally for the present accelerated expansion of our universe. The observational restriction of the reduced cosmological model is also analyzed.