A combined barrow entropy and QCD ghost mechanism for late-time cosmic acceleration

Abstract We investigate a unified dark-energy scenario based on the combined effects of Barrow entropy corrections and the QCD ghost mechanism, referred to as the BH-QCDGDE model. The dark-energy density is constructed in a generalized holographic form that incorporates both Barrow-deformed entropy corrections and low-energy QCD vacuum effects within a single framework. The cosmological dynamics are analyzed in a spatially flat Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker background. The model exhibits a smooth transition from a decelerated matter-dominated era to a late-time accelerated phase without crossing the phantom divide, indicating a viable background evolution within suitable parameter ranges. An equivalent scalar-field description of the effective dark-energy sector is reconstructed and shown to admit a quintessence-like behavior. The thermodynamic behavior is examined by testing the generalized second law at the apparent horizon, which is found to be satisfied for the considered parameter choices. The classical stability of the model is further investigated through the squared speed of sound, indicating that stable cosmological regimes can arise for appropriate choices of the model parameters. Overall, the BH-QCDGDE framework can provide an effective and physically consistent description of late-time cosmic acceleration within the explored parameter space.