2017/11/03 by Daniela D. Doneva, Stoytcho S. Yazadjiev · 588 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Classical mechanics #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Curvature #Einstein #Gauss–Bonnet theorem #Geometry #Mathematical physics #Mathematics #Physics #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Scalar (mathematics) #Scalar curvature #Tensor (intrinsic definition) #Theoretical physics #astro-ph.HE #gr-qc #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.120.131103
published in Physical Review Letters 120(13), 131103 (American Physical Society) · 13 pages, 7 figures
arxiv created 2017/11/03 · openalex publication_date 2018/03/30 · arxiv updated 2018/04/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
In the present Letter, 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 that are formed by spontaneous scalarization of the Schwarzschild black holes in the extreme curvature regime. In this regime, below certain mass, the Schwarzschild solution becomes unstable and a new branch of solutions with a nontrivial scalar field bifurcates from the Schwarzschild one. As a matter of fact, more than one branch with a nontrivial scalar field can bifurcate at different masses, but only the first one is supposed to be stable. This effect is quite similar to the spontaneous scalarization of neutron stars. In contrast to the standard spontaneous scalarization of neutron stars, which is induced by the presence of matter, in our case, the scalarization is induced by the curvature of the spacetime.