In the simplest scalar-tensor theories, wherein the scalar field is non-minimally coupled to the Ricci scalar, spontaneous scalarization of electrovacuum black holes (BHs) does not occur. This ceases to be true in higher dimensional spacetimes, $d>4$. We consider the scalarization of the higher dimensional Reissner-Nordström BHs in scalar-tensor models and provide results on the zero modes for different $d$, together with an explicit construction of the scalarized BHs in $d=5$, discussing some of their properties. We also observe that a conformal transformation into the Einstein frame maps this model into an Einstein-Maxwel-scalar model, wherein the non-minimal coupling occurs between the scalar field and the Maxwell invariant (rather than the Ricci scalar), thus relating the occurence of scalarization in the two models. Next, we consider the spontaneous scalarization of the Schwarzschild-Tangherlini BH in extended-scalar-tensor-Lovelock gravity in even dimensions. In these models, the scalar field is non-minimally coupled to the $(d/2)^{th}$ Euler density, in $d$ spacetime dimensions. We construct explicitly examples in $d=6,8$, showing the properties of the four dimensional case are qualitatively generic, but with quantitative differences. We compare these higher $d$ scalarized BHs with the hairy BHs in shift-symmetric Horndeski theory, for the same $d$, which we also construct.
Spontaneous scalarization is a gravitational phenomenon in which deviations from general relativity arise once a certain threshold in curvature is exceeded, while being entirely absent below that threshold. For black holes, scalarization is known to be triggered by a coupling between a scalar and the Gauss-Bonnet invariant. A coupling with the Ricci scalar, which can trigger scalarization in neutron stars, is instead known to not contribute to the onset of black hole scalarization, and has so far been largely ignored in the literature when studying scalarized black holes. In this paper, we stu…
It is interesting to note that most black holes are born very slowly rotating. We investigate scalarization of slowly rotating black holes in the Einstein-scalar-Chern-Simons (EsCS) theory. In the slow rotation approximation, the CS term takes a linear form of rotation parameter $a$ which determines the tachyonic instability. The tachyonic instability for slowly rotating black holes represents the onset of spontaneous scalarization. It is shown that the slowly rotating black holes are unstable against a spherically symmetric scalar-mode perturbation for positive coupling $α$, whereas these bla…
We study scalarization of slowly rotating black holes in the Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet (GB)-Chern-Simons (CS) theory. In the slow rotation approximation of $a\ll1$ with rotation parameter $a$, the GB term is given by a term for Schwarzschild black hole, whereas the CS term takes a linear term of $a$. The tachyonic instability for slowly rotating black holes represents the onset of spontaneous scalarization. We use the (2+1)-dimensional hyperboloidal foliation method to show the tachyonic instability for slowly rotating black holes by considering the time evolution of a spherically symmetric…
We study the perturbative behaviour of topological black holes in the presence of a cosmological constant and a scalar field coupled to the Gauss-Bonnet term. We calculate both analytically and numerically the quasi-normal modes of scalar perturbations in the extended scalar-tensor-Gauss-Bonnet gravity. In the case of small black holes we find a phase transition of the topological black hole to a hairy configuration.
Particular couplings between a scalar field and the Gauss-Bonnet invariant lead to spontaneous scalarization of black holes. Here we continue our work on simulating this phenomenon in the context of binary black hole systems. We consider a negative coupling for which the black-hole spin plays a major role in the scalarization process. We find two main phenomena: (i) dynamical descalarization, in which initially scalarized black holes form an unscalarized remnant, and (ii) dynamical scalarization, whereby the late merger of initially unscalarized black holes can cause scalar hair to grow. An im…
We holographically investigate the scalarization in the Einstein-Scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity with a negative cosmological constant. We find that instability exists for both Schwarzschild-AdS and Reissner-Nordstrom-AdS black holes with planar horizons when we have proper interactions between the scalar field and the Gauss-Bonnet curvature corrections. We relate such instability to possible holographic scalarization and construct the corresponding hairy black hole solutions in the presence of the cosmological constant. Employing the holographic principle we expect that such bulk scalarization co…
With certain non-minimal coupling between a massless scalar field and the Gauss-Bonnet curvature invariant in the extended scalar-tensor-Gauss-Bonnet (ESTGB) field theory, tachyonic instability of Kerr-Newman (KN) black hole is promoted. Critical spin and charge for the onset of the spontaneous scalarization phenomenon for the KN black hole are calculated in the infinitely large coupling limit. Then analytical formula for the coupling-strength-dependent critical existence line is obtained for the black-hole-scalar-field configuration in a finite large coupling regime. Moreover, numerical metho…
We present spontaneous scalarization of charged black holes (BHs) which is induced by the coupling of the scalar field to the electromagnetic field strength and the double-dual Riemann tensor $L^{μναβ}F_{μν}F_{αβ}$ in a scalar-vector-tensor theory. In our model, the scalarization can be realized under the curved background with a non-trivial electromagnetic field, such as Reissner-Nordstr$\ddot{\rm o}$m Black Holes (RN BHs). Firstly, we investigate the stability of the constant scalar field around RN BHs in the model, and show that the scalar field can suffer a tachyonic instability. Secondly,…
We study the dynamics of black holes in Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet theories that exhibit spontaneous black hole scalarization using recently introduced methods for solving the full, non-perturbative equations of motion. For one sign of the coupling parameter, non-spinning vacuum black holes are unstable to developing scalar hair, while for the other, instability only sets in for black holes with sufficiently large spin. We study scalarization in both cases, demonstrating that there is a range of parameter space where the theory maintains hyperbolic evolution and for which the instability sat…
We consider f(R) gravity theories in the presence of a scalar field minimally coupled to gravity with a self-interacting potential. When the scalar field backreacts to the metric we find at large distances scalarized Schwarzschild-AdS and Schwarzschild-AdS-like black hole solutions. At small distances due to strong curvature effects and the scalar dynamis we find a rich structure of scalarized black hole solutions. When the scalar field is conformally coupled to gravity we also find scalarized black hole solutions at small distances.
We identify a class of scalar-tensor theories with coupling between the scalar and the Gauss-Bonnet invariant that exhibit spontaneous scalarization for both black holes and compact stars. In particular, these theories formally admit all of the stationary solutions of general relativity, but these are not dynamically preferred if certain conditions are satisfied. Remarkably, black holes exhibit scalarization if their mass lies within one of many narrow bands. We find evidence that scalarization can occur in neutron stars as well.
Spontaneous Scalarization of Brane Black Holes: Quantum-Enhanced Tachyonic Instabilities
Institute of Quantum Physics, School of Physics, Central South University（中南大学物理学院量子物理研究所）；Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院高能物理研究所）；School of Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学物理学院）；School of Physics, Xi’an Jiaotong University（西安交通大学物理学院）
In the presence of certain non-minimal couplings between a scalar field and the Gauss-Bonnet curvature invariant, Kerr black holes can scalarize, as long as they are spinning fast enough. This provides a distinctive violation of the Kerr hypothesis, occurring only for some high spin range. In this paper we assess if strong magnetic fields, that may exist in the vicinity of astrophysical black holes, could facilitate this distinctive effect, by bringing down the spin threshold for scalarization. This inquiry is motivated by the fact that self-gravitating magnetic fields, by themselves, can also…
We address the issue of black hole scalarization and its compatibility with cosmic inflation and big bang cosmology from an effective field theory (EFT) point of view. In practice, using a well-defined and healthy toy model which (in part) has been broadly considered in the literature, we consider how higher-order theories of gravity, up to cubic operators in Riemann curvature, fit within this context. Interestingly enough, we find that already at this minimal level, there is a non-trivial interplay between the Wilson coefficients which are otherwise completely independent, constraining the pa…
We propose a class of higher-derivative gravities that can be viewed as the Gauss-Bonnet extension of the Starobinsky model. The theory admits the Minkowski spacetime vacuum whose linear spectrum consists of the graviton and a massive scalar mode. In addition to the usual Schwarzschild black hole, we use numerical analysis to establish that in some suitable mass range, new black holes carrying the massive scalar hair can emerge. The new black hole serves as a "wall" separating the naked spacetime singularity and wormholes in the parameter space of the scalar hair. Our numerical results also in…
We study static, spherically symmetric and electrically charged black hole solutions in a quadratic Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity model. Very similar to the uncharged case, black holes undergo spontaneous scalarization for sufficiently large scalar-tensor coupling $γ$ - a phenomenon attributed to a tachyonic instability of the scalar field system. While in the uncharged case, this effect is only possible for positive values of $γ$, we show that for sufficiently large values of the electric charge $Q$ two independent domains of existence in the $γ$-$Q$-plane appear: one for positive $γ$ …
Scalarization and descalarization in hyperbolic encounters of black holes
Center for AstroPhysical Surveys, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign（伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校国家超级计算应用中心天体物理调查中心）
The scalarization is a very interesting phenomena allowing to endow a compact object with scalar hair while leaving all the predictions in the weak field limit unaltered. In Gauss-Bonnet gravity the source of the scalar field can be the curvature of the space-time. It was recently shown that for a particular type of coupling function between the scalar field and the Gauss-Bonnet invariant, spin-induced black hole scalarization is possible. In the present paper we study this phenomenon by performing a 2+1 time evolution of the relevant linearized scalar field perturbation equation and examine t…
In the present paper we study the onset of the spin-induced scalarization of a Kerr black hole in scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity with a massive scalar field. Our approach is based on a (2+1) time evolution of the relevant linearized scalar field perturbation equation. We examine the region where the Kerr black hole becomes unstable giving rise to new scalarized rotating black holes with a massive scalar field. With increasing of the scalar field mass, the minimum value of the Gauss-Bonnet coupling parameter at which scalarization is possible, increases and thus the instability region shrinks. Int…
In the present paper we consider a class of extended scalar-tensor-Gauss-Bonnet (ESTGB) theories for which the scalar degree of freedom is excited only in the extreme curvature regime. We show that in the mentioned class of ESTGB theories there exist new black hole solutions which are formed by spontaneous scalarization of the Schwarzaschild balck holes in the extreme curvature regime. In this regime, below certain mass, the Schwarzschild solution becomes unstable and new branch of solutions with nontrivial scalar field bifurcate from the Schwarzschild one. As a matter of fact, more than one b…
Black hole spontaneous scalarization has been attracting more and more attention as it circumvents the well-known no-hair theorems. In this work, we study the scalarization in Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet theory with a probe scalar field in a black hole background with different curvatures. We first probe the signal of black hole scalarization with positive curvature in different spacetimes. The scalar field in AdS spacetime could be formed easier than that in flat case. Then, we investigate the scalar field around AdS black holes with negative and zero curvatures. Comparing with negative and …
We study scalar fields in a black hole background and show that, when the scalar is suitably coupled to curvature, rapid rotation can induce a tachyonic instability. This instability, which is the hallmark of spontaneous scalarization in the linearized regime, is expected to be quenched by nonlinearities and endow the black hole with scalar hair. Hence, our results demonstrate the existence of a broad class of theories that share the same stationary black hole solutions with general relativity at low spins, but which exhibit black hole hair at sufficiently high spins ($a/M\gtrsim 0.5$). This r…
We study the fully nonlinear dynamics of black hole spontaneous scalarizations in Einstein-Maxwell scalar theory with coupling function $f(ϕ)=e^{-bϕ^{2}}$, which can transform usual Reissner-Nordström Anti-de Sitter (RN-AdS) black holes into hairy black holes. Fixing the Arnowitt-Deser-Misner mass of the system, the initial scalar perturbation will destroy the original RN-AdS black hole and turn it into a hairy black hole provided that the constant $-b$ in the coupling function and the charge of the original black hole are sufficiently large, while the cosmological constant is small enough. In…
Chern-Simons gravity rotating Kerr-type black hole solutions are revisited from the point of view of their scalarization, namely examining the back reaction of pseudoscalar axion fields on the rotating geometry. To lowest order in an angular momentum expansion, and a long range approximation for both the axion field configuration and its back reaction onto the metric, such solutions had been discussed for the first time in the context of string theory. In this work, we extend the analysis to give analytic expressions for slowly rotating black holes outside the horizon, which formally include a…
We investigate the tachyonic instability of Kerr-Newman (KN) black holes in the Einstein-Maxwell-scalar (EMS) theory with a positive coupling parameter $α$. This corresponds to exploring the onset of spontaneous scalarization for KN black holes. For this purpose, we use the hyperboloidal foliation method (HFM) to solve the linearized scalar equation numerically. We obtain a 3D graph [$\log_{10}α(a,Q)$] which indicates the onset surface for spontaneous scalarization of KN black holes in the EMS theory. We find that there is no lower bound on the rotational parameter $a$, but its upper bound is …
It has recently been proved numerically that spinning black holes in Einstein-scalar theories which are characterized by a non-minimal negative coupling of the scalar field to the Gauss-Bonnet invariant of the curved spacetime may develop exponentially growing instabilities. Intriguingly, it has been demonstrated that this tachyonic instability, which marks the onset of the spontaneous scalarization phenomenon in the Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet-scalar theory, characterizes spinning black holes whose dimensionless angular momentum parameter ${\bar a}\equiv a/M$ is larger than some critical value ${\b…
The phenomenon of spontaneous scalarization of charged black holes has attracted a lot of attention. In this work, we study the dynamical process of the spontaneous scalarization of charged black hole in asymptotically anti-de Sitter spacetimes in Einstein-Maxwell-scalar models. Including various non-minimal couplings between the scalar field and Maxwell field, we observe that an initial scalar-free configuration suffers tachyonic instability and both the scalar field and the black hole irreducible mass grow exponentially at early times and saturate exponentially at late times. For fractional …
We report a new black hole scalarization mechanism and disclose novel dynamical critical phenomena in the process of the nonlinear accretion of the scalar field into black holes. The accretion process can transform a seed black hole into a final scalarized or bald black hole, depending on the initial parameter of the scalar field $p$. There is a critical parameter $p_{\ast}$ and near it all intermediate solutions are attracted to a critical solution and stay there for a time scaling as $T\propto-γ\ln|p-p_{\ast}|$. At late times, the solutions evolve into scalarized black holes if $p>p_{\ast}$,…
For massless scalar fields, a relation $Δ_{n}=\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}π$ for $n\rightarrow \infty$ was observed in the scalar-Gauss-Bonnet theory. In the present paper, we extend the discussion by including a nonzero scalar field mass. For massive scalar fields, we show that the relation $Δ_{n}=\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}π$ for $n\rightarrow \infty$ still holds. We demonstrate this relation with both analytical and numerical methods. The analytical analysis implies that this relation may be a very universal behavior.
We present the first fully nonlinear study on the accretion of scalar fields onto a seed black hole in anti-de Sitter spacetime in Einstein-Maxwell-scalar theory. Intrinsic critical phenomena in the dynamical transition between the bald and scalarized black holes are disclosed. In scalarizations, the transition is discontinuous and a metastable black hole acts as an attractor at the threshold. We construct a new physical mechanism to dynamically descalarize an isolated scalarized black hole. The first results on critical phenomena in descalarizations are revealed. The dynamical descalarization…
It has recently been proved that nontrivial couplings between scalar fields and the Gauss-Bonnet invariant of a curved spacetime may allow a central black hole to support spatially regular scalar hairy configurations. Interestingly, former numerical studies of the intriguing black-hole spontaneous scalarization phenomenon have demonstrated that the composed hairy black-hole-scalar-field configurations exist if and only if the dimensionless coupling parameter $\barη$ of the theory belongs to a discrete set $\{[\barη^{-}_{n},\barη^{+}_{n}]\}_{n=0}^{n=\infty}$ of scalarization bands. We have exam…
We study the process of fully nonlinear dynamical scalarization starting from a charged black hole or a naked singularity in asymptotically flat spacetime in the Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory. Initially the dilaton field is negligible compared to the gravitational and the Maxwell field. Then the dilaton field experiences an immediate growth, later it oscillates with damping amplitude and finally settles down to a finite value. For a hairy black hole develops from an original Reissner-Nordström black hole, since the dilaton oscillation and decay are almost independent of the coupling paramete…
Spontaneous scalarization of black holes in scalar-Gauss-Bonnet (sGB) gravity is a very interesting phenomenon allowing black holes to circumvent the no-hair theorem and acquire scalar hair while leaving the weak field regime of the theory practically unaltered. It was recently shown that if we allow for a different form of the coupling between the scalar field and the Gauss-Bonnet invariant, a new type of scalarization is possible beyond the standard one that can be excited only nonlinearly. In this case the spectrum of black hole solutions can be more complicated, naturally opening the quest…
Spontaneous scalarization is a mechanism that endows relativistic stars and black holes with a nontrivial configuration only when their spacetime curvature exceeds some threshold. The standard way to trigger spontaneous scalarization is via a tachyonic instability at the linear level, which is eventually quenched due to the effect of non-linear terms. In this paper, we identify all of the terms in the Horndeski action that contribute to the (effective) mass term in the linearized equations and, hence, can cause or contribute to the tachyonic instability that triggers scalarization.
In this paper, we consider the tachyonic instability of Kerr-Newman (KN) black holes in the Einstein-Maxwell-scalar (EMS) theory with nonminimal negative scalar coupling to Maxwell term, and then obtain a bound $(\frac{a}{r_+}\geq0.4142)$ for spin parameter $a$ of KN black hole in the limit of coupling constant $α\rightarrow-\infty$ by using analytical method. In addition, we perform a $(2+1)$-dimensional time evolution of linearized scalar field perturbation on the KN black hole background by implementing the hyperboloidal foliation method numerically in the EMS theory. It recovers the \texti…
It has recently been shown that nontrivial couplings between a scalar and the Gauss-Bonnet invariant can give rise to black hole spontaneous scalarization. Theories that exhibit this phenomenon are among the leading candidates for testing gravity with upcoming black hole observations. All models considered so far have focused on specific forms for the coupling, neglecting scalar self-interactions. In this work, we take the first steps towards placing this phenomenon on a more robust theoretical footing by considering the leading-order scalar self-interactions as well as the scalar-Gauss-Bonnet…
We present a new family of exact black hole configurations, which is a solution to a generalized Einstein-Maxwell-Dilaton setup in arbitrary dimension. These solutions are asymptotically Lifshitz for any dynamical critical exponent $z\geq 1$. It turns out that the existence of a nontrivial scalar field is a direct consequence of breaking the spacetime isotropic scaling symmetry. This black hole family accepts various interesting limits that link it to well-known solutions in both the isotropic and anisotropic cases. We study the thermodynamics of these field configurations showing that the fir…
In electrovacuum stationary, asymptotically flat black holes in scalar-tensor theories of gravity are described by the Kerr-Newman family of solutions, just as in general relativity. We show that there exist two mechanisms which can render Kerr black holes unstable when matter is present in the vicinity of the black hole, as this induces an effective mass for the scalar. The first mechanism is a tachyonic instability that appears when the effective mass squared is negative, triggering the development of scalar hair --- a black hole version of "spontaneous scalarization". The second instability…
