Cosmological constraints on a dark energy model with a non-linear scalar field

In the present work we study a dark energy model in which a non-linear scalar field (tachyon) with a Born-Infeld type of action is responsible for the observed cosmic acceleration. The potential of the tachyon is well-motivated since it comes from open string theory and the model is subjected to various cosmological constraints with data coming from supernovae as well as from microwave background radiation. Our analysis shows that in the particular model under study the tachyon can be an excellent candidate for dark energy in the universe, as the model agrees with a series of observational data and for a wide range of the parameters of the model.