Constraining quintessence models with integrated Sachs-Wolfe thermal Sunyaev-Zel’dovich cross-correlations: A comparative analysis of thawing, tracker, and scaling-freezing dynamics

Abstract

We present constraints on quintessence dark energy models using the observational detection of the integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW)–thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) cross-correlation dataset. Our analysis compares three classes of quintessence dynamics: thawing, tracker, and scaling-freezing with the standard Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmology. Through a comprehensive likelihood analysis, we derive best-fit values and 68% confidence intervals for key cosmological parameters, finding (Formula presented) and (Formula presented) for ΛCDM, with deviations in alternative models consistent within 1σ. For the thawing model, we consider an exponential potential with slope (Formula presented), while for the tracker and scaling-freezing models, we use inverse axionlike and double exponential potentials, respectively. Observationally, the tracker model yields (Formula presented) and (Formula presented), and the scaling-freezing model gives (Formula presented) and (Formula presented). The dimensionless tSZ amplitude (W̃SZ) and cosmic infrared background (CIB) parameters are tightly constrained across all models, providing additional insights into astrophysical foregrounds. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of ISW-tSZ cross-correlations as a probe of dark energy dynamics, with the thawing quintessence model yielding the lowest χ2min among the tested scenarios, and highlight the need for future high-precision measurements to distinguish between quintessence models and ΛCDM. © (2026), (American Physical Society). All rights reserved.