Influence of scalar fields on the approach to a cosmological singularity -art. no. 023508

The method of consistent potentials (MCP) is used to explain how a minimall y coupled (classical) scalar field can suppress mixmaster oscillations in t he approach to the singularity of generic cosmological spacetimes. The MCP predicts the nature of the approach to the singularity by substitution of t he velocity term dominated (VTD) solution, obtained by neglecting terms in Einstein's equations containing spatial derivatives, into the neglected ter ms. If these remain small, the approach to the singularity is predicted to be asymptotically VTD (AVTD). Addition of the scaler field to vacuum Bianch i type IX (mixmaster), vacuum U(1) symmetric, and magnetic Gowdy cosmologie s changes the MCP prediction from that for an oscillatory approach to the s ingularity to one that is AVTD. Numerical simulations are shown to support these predictions.