No Arabic abstract
In the present work, the observational consequences of a subclass of of the Horndeski theory have been investigated. In this theory a scalar field (tachyon field) non-minimally coupled to the Gauss-Bonnet invariant through an arbitrary function of the scalar field. By considering a spatially flat FRW universe, the free parameters of the model have been constrained using a joint analysis from observational data of the Type Ia supernovae and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations measurements. The best fit values obtained from these datasets are then used to reconstruct the equation of state parameter of the scalar field. The results show the phantom, quintessence and phantom divide line crossing behavior of the equation of state and also cosmological viability of the model.
In this paper the focus is on inflationary dynamics in the context of Einstein Gauss-Bonnet gravitational theories. We investigate the implications of the slow-roll condition on the slow-roll indices and we investigate how the inflationary dynamical evolution is affected by the presence of the Gauss-Bonnet coupling to the scalar field. For exemplification of our analysis we investigate how the dynamics of inflationary cubic, quartic order and also exponential scalar potentials are affected by the non-trivial Gauss-Bonnet coupling to the scalar field. As we demonstrate it is possible to obtain a viable phenomenology compatible with the observational data, although the canonical scalar field theory with cubic and quartic order potentials does not yield phenomenologically acceptable results. In addition, with regard to the exponential potential example, the Einstein Gauss-Bonnet extension of the single canonical scalar field model has an inherent mechanism that can trigger the graceful exit from inflation. Furthermore we introduce a bottom-up reconstruction technique, in the context of which by fixing the tensor-to-scalar ratio and the Hubble rate as a function of the $e$-foldings number, one is capable of reproducing the Einstein Gauss-Bonnet theory which generates the aforementioned quantities. We illustrate how the method works by using some relatively simple examples.
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 relativity solutions. We point out that a similar effect may occur for the scalar modes in a cosmological background, resulting in the instability of cosmological solutions. In particular, we show that a catastrophic instability develops during inflation within a period of time much shorter than the minimum required duration of inflation. As a result, the standard cosmological dynamics is not recovered. This raises the question of the viability of scalar-Gauss-Bonnet theories exhibiting scalarization.
We study inflationary models with a Gauss-Bonnet term to reconstruct the scalar field potentials and the Gauss-Bonnet coupling functions from the observable quantities. Using the observationally favored relations for both $n_s$ and $r$, we derive the expressions for both the scalar field potentials and the coupling functions. The implication of the blue-tilted spectrum, $n_t>0$, of the primordial tensor fluctuations is discussed for the reconstructed configurations of the scalar field potential and the Gauss-Bonnet coupling.
We propose a novel $k$-Gauss-Bonnet model, in which a kinetic term of scalar field is allowed to non-minimally couple to the Gauss-Bonnet topological invariant in the absence of a potential of scalar field. As a result, this model is shown to admit an isotropic power-law inflation provided that the scalar field is phantom. Furthermore, stability analysis based on the dynamical system method is performed to indicate that this inflation solution is indeed stable and attractive. More interestingly, a gradient instability in tensor perturbations is shown to disappear in this model.
In this work we study static black holes in the regularized 4D Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet theory of gravity; a shift-symmetric scalar-tensor theory that belongs to the Horndeski class. This theory features a simple black hole solution that can be written in closed form, and which we show is the unique static, spherically-symmetric and asymptotically-flat black hole vacuum solution of the theory. We further show that no asymptotically-flat, time-dependent, spherically-symmetric perturbations to this geometry are allowed, which suggests that it may be the only spherically-symmetric vacuum solution that this theory admits (a result analogous to Birkhoffs theorem). Finally, we consider the thermodynamic properties of these black holes, and find that their final state after evaporation is a remnant with a size determined by the coupling constant of the theory. We speculate that remnants of this kind from primordial black holes could act as dark matter, and we constrain the parameter space for their formation mass, as well as the coupling constant of the theory.