Quintessence-like features in the late-time cosmological evolution of $f(Q)$ symmetric teleparallel gravity

Abstract: In this study, we investigate the cosmological history within the framework of modified $f(Q)$ gravity, which proposes an alternative theory of gravity where the gravitational force is described by a non-metricity scalar. By employing a parametrization scheme for the Hubble parameter, we obtain the exact solution to the field equations in $f(Q)$ cosmology. To constrain our model, we utilize external datasets, including 57 data points from the Hubble dataset, 1048 data points from the SN dataset, and six data points from the BAO dataset. This enables us to determine the best-fit values for the model parameters involved in the parameterization scheme. We analyze the cosmic evolution of various cosmological parameters, including the deceleration parameter, which exhibits the expected behavior in late-time cosmology and changes its signature with redshift. Further, we present the evolution of energy density, EoS parameter, and other geometrical parameters with respect to redshift. Furthermore, we discuss several cosmological tests and diagnostic analyses. Our findings demonstrate that the late-time cosmic evolution can be adequately described without the need for dark energy by employing a parametrization scheme in modified gravity.