In the presence of appropriate non-minimal couplings between a scalar field and the curvature squared Gauss-Bonnet (GB) term, compact objects such as neutron stars and black holes (BHs) can spontaneously scalarize, becoming a preferred vacuum. Such strong gravity phase transitions have attracted considerable attention recently. The non-minimal coupling functions that allow this mechanism are, however, always postulated ad hoc. Here we point out that families of such functions naturally emerge in the context of Higgs--Chern-Simons gravity models, which are found as dimensionally descents of higher dimensional, purely topological, Chern-Pontryagin non-Abelian densities. As a proof of concept, we study spherically symmetric scalarized BH solutions in a particular Einstein-GB-scalar field model, whose coupling is obtained from this construction, pointing out novel features and caveats thereof. The possibility of vectorization is also discussed, since this construction also originates vector fields non-minimally coupled to the GB invariant.
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…
In certain classes of the scalar-Gauss-Bonnet theory strong spacetime curvature in the vicinity of neutron stars and black holes can spontaneously trigger scalarization in the compact object if the coupling strength of the scalar field to the Gauss-Bonnet invariant exceeds a critical value. Specifying on neutron stars, this threshold depends on the mass and equation of state. The presence of a companion will further influence the required coupling strength for scalarization, and thus, a stable hair can be installed at a lower magnitude of coupling for those neutron stars as members of binaries…
In the present paper we study models of neutron stars in a class of extended scalar-tensor Gauss-Bonnet (ESTGB) theories for which the scalar degree of freedom is exited only in the strong curvature regime. We show that in the framework of the ESTGB theories under consideration there exist new neutron star solutions which are formed via spontaneous scalarization of the general relativistic neutron stars. In contrast to the spontaneous scalarization in the standard scalar-tensor theories which is induced by the presence of matter, in our case the scalarization is induced by the spacetime curvat…
Recently, by considering nontrivial couplings between scalar fields and the Gauss-Bonnet invariant, the Schwarzschild black hole may allow regular scalar hairy configurations. The numerical studies of this spontaneous scalarization phenomenon show if the coupling parameter $\barη$ belongs to discrete sets $\barη\in\{\barη^-_n,\barη^+_n\}^{n=\infty}_{n=0}$, the black hole can support regular scalar hairy configurations. Interestingly, Hod finds the coupling parameter $\barη^+_n$ which correspond to the black hole linearized scalar field configurations has an asymptotic universal behavior $Δ_n\e…
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…
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…
In general relativity, astrophysical black holes are simple objects, being described by just their mass and spin. These simple solutions are not exclusive to general relativity, as they also appear in theories that allow for an extra scalar degree of freedom. Recently, it was shown that some theories which couple a scalar field with the Gauss-Bonnet invariant can have the same classic general relativity black hole solutions as well as hairy black holes. These scalarized solutions can be stable, having an additional "charge" term that has an impact on the gravitational-wave emission by black ho…
Recently, a new nonlinear mechanism for black hole scalarization, different from the standard spontaneous scalarization, was demonstrated to exist for scalar Gauss-Bonnet theories in which no tachyonic instabilities can occur. Thus Schwarzschild black hole is linearly stable but instead nonlinear instability can kick-in. In the present paper we extend on this idea in the case of multi-scalar Gauss-Bonnet gravity with exponential coupling functions of third and fourth leading order in the scalar field. The main motivation comes from the fact that these theories admit hairy compact objects with …
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.
We study scalarization of horizonless neutral compact reflecting stars. In our model, the scalar hair can be induced by the coupling of static scalar fields to the Gauss-Bonnet invariant. We analytically obtain lower bounds on the coupling parameter. Below the bound, the static scalar hair cannot form. And above the bound, we numerically get the discrete coupling parameter that can support scalar hairs outside stars. We also disclose effects of model parameters on the discrete coupling parameter.
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 construct black hole solutions with spin-induced scalarization in a class of models where a scalar field is quadratically coupled to the topological Gauss-Bonnet term. Starting from the tachyonically unstable Kerr solutions, we obtain families of scalarized black holes such that the scalar field has either even or odd parity, and we investigate their domain of existence. The scalarized black holes can violate the Kerr rotation bound. We identify "critical" families of scalarized black hole solutions such that the expansion of the metric functions and of the scalar field at the horizon no lo…
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…
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.
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…
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…
In a subclass of scalar-tensor theories, it has been shown that standard general relativity solutions of neutron stars and black holes with trivial scalar field profiles are unstable. Such an instability leads to solutions which are different from those of general relativity and have non-trivial scalar field profiles, in a process called scalarization. In the present work we focus on scalarization due to a non-minimal coupling of the scalar field to the Gauss-Bonnet curvature invariant. The coupling acts as a tachyonic mass for the scalar mode, thus leading to the instability of general relati…
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…
In the present paper we derive strong constrains on scalarization in scalar-Gauss-Bonnet (sGB) gravity using observations of pulsars in close binary systems. Since scalarized neutron stars carry a nonzero scalar change, they emit scalar dipole radiation while inspiraling which speeds up the orbital decay. The observations support the conjecture that such radiation is either absent or very small for the observed binary pulsars. Using this, we determine the allowed range of parameters for sGB gravity. We also transfer the derived constraints to black holes in sGB gravity. It turns out that the m…
Proofs on singularity-free solutions and scalarization in nonlinear Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet cosmology
School of Mathematics and Statistics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology（华中科技大学数学与统计学院）；Center for Mathematical Sciences and School of Mathematics and Statistics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology（华中科技大学数学科学中心及数学与统计学院）；School of Mathematical Sciences, Xiamen University（厦门大学数学科学学院）
In the present paper we consider multi-scalar extension of Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity. We focus on multi-scalar Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet models whose target space is a three-dimensional maximally symmetric space, namely either $\mathbb{S}^3$, $\mathbb{H}^3$ or $\mathbb{R}^3$, and in the case when the map $\text{\it spacetime} \to \text{\it target space}$ is nontrivial. We prove numerically the existence of black holes in this class of models for several Gauss-Bonnet coupling functions, including the case of scalarization. We also perform systematic study of a variety of black hole characterist…
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.
We examine the constraining power of current gravitational-wave data on scalar-tensor-Gauss-Bonnet theories that allow for the spontaneous scalarization of black holes. In the fiducial model that we consider, a slowly rotating black hole must scalarize if its size is comparable to the new length scale $λ$ that the theory introduces, although rapidly rotating black holes of any mass are effectively indistinguishable from their counterparts in general relativity. With this in mind, we use the gravitational-wave event GW190814$\,\unicode{x2014}\,$whose primary black hole has a spin that is bounde…
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…
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 …
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…
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…
Recently new scalarized black hole solutions were constructed in the extended scalar-tensor-Gauss-Bonnet gravity, where the scalar field is sourced by the curvature of the spacetime via the Gauss-Bonnet invariant. A natural extension of these results is to consider the case of nonzero black hole charge. In addition we have explored a large set of coupling functions between the Gauss-Bonnet invariant and the scalar field, that was not done until now even in the uncharged case, in order to understand better the behavior of the solutions and the deviations from pure general relativity. The result…
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…
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…
In the present letter we show the existence of a fully nonlinear dynamical mechanism for the formation of scalarized black holes which is different from the spontaneous scalarization. We consider a class of scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity theories within which no tachyonic instability can occur. Although the Schwarzschild black holes are linearly stable against scalar perturbations, we show dynamically that for certain choices of the coupling function they are unstable against nonlinear scalar perturbations. This nonlinear instability leads to the formation of new black holes with scalar hair. The…
The black hole scalarization in a special Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet (EsGB) gravity has been widely investigated in recent years. Especially, the spontaneous scalarization of scalar-free black hole in de-Sitter (dS) spacetime possesses interesting features due to the existence of cosmological horizon. In this work, firstly, we focus on the massive scalar field perturbation on Schwarzschild dS (SdS) black hole in a special EsGB theory. By analyzing the fundamental QNM frequency and time evolution of the scalar field perturbation, we figure out the unstable/stable regions in $(Λ,α)$-plane as w…
We study the axial quasinormal modes of hairy black holes in Gauss-Bonnet gravity with massive self-interacting scalar field. Two coupling functions of the scalar field to the Gauss-Bonnet invariant are adopted with one of them leading to black hole scalarization. The axial perturbations are studied via time evolution of the perturbation equation, and the effect of the scalar field mass and the self-interaction constant on the oscillation frequency and damping time is examined. We study as well the effect of nonzero scalar field potential on the critical point at which the perturbation equatio…
Phase Structure of Scalarized Black Holes in Einstein-Scalar-Gauss-Bonnet Gravity
Universidade de Aveiro（阿威罗大学）；Centre for Research and Development in Mathematics and Applications (CIDMA)（数学与应用研究中心（CIDMA））；UFPA（帕拉联邦大学）；Jiangxi Normal University（江西师范大学）；Universität Oldenburg（奥尔登堡大学）
Recently, it is found that the strong cosmic censorship (SCC) is violated in RNdS black hole by a minimal coupled neutral massless scalar field at the linear perturbation level. For the Einstein-Maxwell-Scalar-Gauss-Bonnet theory which is famous for the spontaneous scalarization phenomenon, there exists the scalar field coupled with the Gauss-Bonnet term. Whether the SCC of the RNdS black hole can be repaired by the non-minimal coupled scalar field perturbation at the linear level becomes an interesting question. In this paper, we firstly investigate the extendibility of the metric beyond the …
We study the spontaneous scalarization of a standard conducting charged sphere embedded in Maxwell-scalar models in flat spacetime, wherein the scalar field $ϕ$ is nonminimally coupled to the Maxwell electrodynamics. This setup serves as a toy model for the spontaneous scalarization of charged (vacuum) black holes in Einstein-Maxwell-scalar (generalized scalar-tensor) models. In the Maxwell-scalar case, unlike the black hole cases, closed-form solutions exist for the scalarized configurations. We compute these configurations for three illustrations of nonminimal couplings: one that \textit{exa…
