Testing quintessence models with large-scale structure growth

We explore the possibility of putting constraints on quintessence models with large-scale structure observations. In particular, we compute the linear and second order growth rate of the fluctuations in different flavors of quintessence scenarios. We show that effective models of quintessence (e.g., with a constant equation of state) do not account for the results found in more realistic scenarios. The impact of these results on observational quantities such as the shape of the nonlinear power spectrum in weak lensing surveys or the skewness of the convergence field is investigated. It appears that the observational signature of quintessence models is specific and rather large. The effects clearly cannot be mistaken for a change of (Formula presented)