Canonical scalar stress as a perfect fluid ($\rho =K+V,p=K-V$)

For a canonical scalar with timelike gradient, its stress-energy tensor has perfect-fluid form. In a homogeneous background, $\rho ={\dot{\varphi }}^2/2+V$ and $p={\dot{\varphi }}^2/2-V$. Potential domination gives negative pressure, while the scalar's physical rest-frame sound speed is one. A constant negative background $w$ therefore does not force its perturbations to obey the adiabatic barotropic closure $\delta p=w\delta \rho$.

// Target: cosmology.bigb

For $d{s}^2=a^2(d{\tau }^2-d{\mathbf{x}}^2)$ and a homogeneous canonical scalar, $\rho ={\varphi }^{\prime 2}/(2a^2)+V$ is the physical density, whereas $T_{00}=a^2\rho$. At $w=-1/3$, the kinetic and potential energies are $K=\rho /3$ and $V=2\rho /3$, so ${\varphi }^{\prime 2}=2a^2\rho /3=2T_{00}/3$. A single power of ${\varphi }^{\prime }$ cannot replace the square in this energy identity.

// Target: cosmology.bigb